Read more from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) about their efforts to re-establish funding for the WHI. This historic study has shaped and greatly advanced the public health and clinical understanding of women’s health. The WHI has preserved and distributed hundreds of thousands of participant blood samples. This decision is indicative of its pernicious effects on research aimed at addressing the most pressing health concerns facing women.
The WHI takes great pride in enrolling an average of 13,000 women aged 90 and older, with some enrolled participants as old as 108 years. This amazing group is committed to exploring many other health-related topics. These topics include chronic disease prevention, memory loss mitigation, and the prevention and treatment of breast, ovarian, and colorectal cancers. The study examines how early life conditions such as pregnancy complications and gestational diabetes may impact women later in life.
Dr. JoAnn E. Manson, one of the WHI’s long-term principal investigators, emphasized the importance of the study’s extensive bio-specimen collection. She mentioned that it is important to know whether these bio-specimens are salvageable. She asked whether they can be released for use in ancillary studies by researchers across the country and whether new biomarkers could even be measured in these blood samples. It wasn’t clear. Her comments highlight the abyss of questions about the future of the specimens that have supported WHI’s basic research for decades.
The WHI’s regional center at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center has yet to receive formal notification on funding restoration. They have not heard anything further about this. The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle — home to the Clinical Coordinating Center — is anxiously awaiting confirmation from the NIH. They need to understand what is happening with their funding. Yet the funding for this center will last until January of 2026.
Dr. Marian Neuhouser, a principal investigator of the WHI at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, stressed the need to keep collecting data. It’s the tens of thousands of women still enrolled in the study who continue to offer immense value. As she mentioned, survivors. In fact, there are nearly 13,000 women over 90, of which some are even 108 years old. This remarkable demographic diversity contrasts with the beauty of the study’s findings.
The WHI has changed the course of public health recommendations. Retrospectively, it has had the immeasurable benefit of inspiring a generation of women’s health researchers. With over 5,000 investigators involved in publications and scientific exploration, Dr. Manson noted that maintaining this collaborative network poses challenges: “There have been more than 5,000 investigators who have been involved with publications and with the science, and it will be difficult to keep that together.”
This women-focused research has produced important findings into women’s health and longevity. According to Dr. Manson, “This is the largest and most groundbreaking study of women’s health, and we’re learning so much about prevention of chronic disease, healthy aging, extending health span, years of life that are free of major chronic diseases with good memory and cognition and mobility, and quality of life.”
In light of recent developments regarding funding decisions, Dr. Garnet Anderson expressed concerns about the current process: “The decision-making process now is opaque,” he stated. He further questioned whether resources were being allocated effectively: “It isn’t clear that we are getting the best return on our investment — prioritizing and supporting research on the most important issues in public health and the most promising scientific opportunities.”
The NIH has recently reaffirmed its commitment to restoring funding levels for highly meritorious research initiatives such as WHI. These studies are important additions to our growing appreciation of women’s health. In fact, an NIH spokesperson confirmed that the organization met and even surpassed its original internal goals to reduce contracts. Now, they’re working to get Congress to fully restore funding to these critical research initiatives.
This potential restoration of funding for the WHI funded is a crucial turning point for continued research in women’s health. Many scientists are excitedly looking ahead and waiting to hear back from the NIH. They are optimistic that this new investment will help them build on their pioneering work. This funding is critical for our multiyear research program. It reflects the administration’s commitment to deepening our understanding of women’s health and improving it across the board.
