| E.1 Medical condition or disease under investigation | 
| E.1.1 | Medical condition(s) being investigated  | 
| Age/menopause related changes in the artery wall composition after menopause | 
 
 
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| MedDRA Classification | 
| E.1.2 Medical condition or disease under investigation | 
| E.1.2 | Version  | 9.1 | 
 
| E.1.2 | Level  | LLT | 
 
| E.1.2 | Classification code  | 10003601 | 
 
| E.1.2 | Term  | Atherosclerosis | 
 
 
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| E.1.2 Medical condition or disease under investigation | 
| E.1.2 | Version  | 9.1 | 
 
| E.1.2 | Level  | LLT | 
 
| E.1.2 | Classification code  | 10051775 | 
 
| E.1.2 | Term  | Postmenopause | 
 
 
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| E.1.2 Medical condition or disease under investigation | 
| E.1.2 | Version  | 9.1 | 
 
| E.1.2 | Level  | LLT | 
 
| E.1.2 | Classification code  | 10020388 | 
 
| E.1.2 | Term  | Hormone replacement therapy | 
 
 
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| E.1.3 | Condition being studied is a rare disease  |  No  | 
| E.2 Objective of the trial | 
| E.2.1 | Main objective of the trial  | 
| Effects of low dose hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on the age/menopause-related changes in the artery wall composition (common carotid artery): Intima thickness, media thickness and I/M thickness ratio. Results will be compared with placebo-treated women. Changes will be related to age at start of HRT and baseline serum hormone levels. | 
 
 
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| E.2.2 | Secondary objectives of the trial  | 
| Changes in body mass index (height and weight measured), body fat distribution (waist & circumference and skin folds). | 
 
 
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| E.2.3 | Trial contains a sub-study  |  No  | 
| E.3 | Principal inclusion criteria  | 
Postmenopausal women, i.e. > 1 year after last menstrual period Age 50 - 59 years; Having an intact uterus; HRT naive or more than 3 yrs since last use of medium potent HRT (low-dose vaginal regimens allowed); Endometrial thickness <=5mm at inclusion. Normal mammogram within the last 12 months. Signed informed consent. 
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| E.4 | Principal exclusion criteria | 
Current or previous use of HT within the last 3 years; current use of lipid-lowering agents, oral corticosteroids for more than one month within the last 3 years;Body Mass Index (BMI) >35 kg/m2; Known or suspected past or present history of breast cancer;  Known, suspected or past estrogen dependent neoplasia, e.g. endometrial cancer; Known, present or past history of coronary heart disease. 
 Contraindication for HT: undiagnosed genital bleeding, untreated endometrial hyperplasia, previous idiopathic or current venous thromboembolism (deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism), active or recent arterial thromboembolic disease ) e.g. angina, myocardial infarction), acute liver disease, or a history of liver disease as long as liver function tests have failed to return to normal, known hypersensitivity to the active substances or to any of the excipients, porphyria Hypertension: >150/95 Untreated Thyroid disease. 
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| E.5 End points | 
| E.5.1 | Primary end point(s) | 
| Changes within and between study groups with regard to changes in carotid artery intima thickness,  media thickness and I/M thickness ratio, as assessed by ultrasonography. | 
 
 
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| E.6 and E.7 Scope of the trial | 
| E.6 | Scope of the trial | 
| E.6.1 | Diagnosis |  No  | 
| E.6.2 | Prophylaxis |  Yes  | 
| E.6.3 | Therapy |  Yes  | 
| E.6.4 | Safety |  No  | 
| E.6.5 | Efficacy |  Yes  | 
| E.6.6 | Pharmacokinetic |  No  | 
| E.6.7 | Pharmacodynamic |  No  | 
| E.6.8 | Bioequivalence |  No  | 
| E.6.9 | Dose response |  No  | 
| E.6.10 | Pharmacogenetic |  No  | 
| E.6.11 | Pharmacogenomic |  No  | 
| E.6.12 | Pharmacoeconomic |  No  | 
| E.6.13 | Others |  No  | 
| E.7 | Trial type and phase | 
| E.7.1 | Human pharmacology (Phase I) |  No  | 
| E.7.1.1 | First administration to humans |  No  | 
| E.7.1.2 | Bioequivalence study |  No  | 
| E.7.1.3 | Other |  Yes  | 
| E.7.1.3.1 | Other trial type description | 
| Effects of registered compound | 
 
 
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| E.7.2 | Therapeutic exploratory (Phase II) |  No  | 
| E.7.3 | Therapeutic confirmatory (Phase III) |  Yes  | 
| E.7.4 | Therapeutic use (Phase IV) |  No  | 
| E.8 Design of the trial | 
| E.8.1 | Controlled |  Yes  | 
| E.8.1.1 | Randomised |  Yes  | 
| E.8.1.2 | Open |  No  | 
| E.8.1.3 | Single blind |  No  | 
| E.8.1.4 | Double blind  |  Yes  | 
| E.8.1.5 | Parallel group |  Yes  | 
| E.8.1.6 | Cross over  |  No  | 
| E.8.1.7 | Other |  No  | 
| E.8.2 |  Comparator of controlled trial | 
| E.8.2.1 | Other medicinal product(s) |  No  | 
| E.8.2.2 | Placebo  |  Yes  | 
| E.8.2.3 | Other |  No  | 
| E.8.3 | 
                                The trial involves single site in the Member State concerned
                             |  Yes  | 
| E.8.4 |  The trial involves multiple sites in the Member State concerned  |  No  | 
| E.8.5 | The trial involves multiple Member States |  No  | 
| E.8.6 Trial involving sites outside the EEA | 
| E.8.6.1 | Trial being conducted both within and outside the EEA |  No  | 
| E.8.6.2 | Trial being conducted completely outside of the EEA |  Information not present in EudraCT  | 
| E.8.7 | Trial has a data monitoring committee |  No  | 
| E.8.8 | 
                        Definition of the end of the trial and justification where it is not the last
                        visit of the last subject undergoing the trial
                     | 
| Last visit of the last subject undergoing the trial | 
 
 
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| E.8.9 Initial estimate of the duration of the trial | 
| E.8.9.1 | In the Member State concerned years | 3 | 
| E.8.9.1 | In the Member State concerned months | 0 | 
| E.8.9.1 | In the Member State concerned days | 0 |