At the time of hysterectomy for benign disease, the overall health benefits of preserving ovarian function in a large population of women have not been established.

We are conducting a prospective, observational study of 32,175 women participants of the Nurse's Health Study who had a hysterectomy with or without removal of both ovaries. We are evaluating mortality and morbidity due to the following conditions: coronary heart disease, stroke, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, other cancer, hip fracture and death from all causes.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Women who had hysterectomies were classified into simple hysterectomy or hysterectomy with both ovaries removed.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Evidence of cancer, coronary heart disease (MI or Angina Pectoris), stroke, or hip fracture before entering the study were excluded. Cancer as an indication for hysterectomy also excluded.
• Women reporting unilateral oophorectomy, unknown oophorectomy status, unknown age of hysterectomy, or those who had oophorectomy before hysterectomy were excluded.

Nurses' Health Study I, which included 122,701 married registered nurses living in 11 U.S. states and who were ages 30 to 55 in 1976