This four-year continuation proposes to add three data points, 9-10 months apart (T4-T6, to the four already completed (T0-T3), in order to complete a unique prospective study of a cohort of 427 pre-and peri- menopausal women aged 50-60 years (80% were aged 50-55 years) in 1986 when data collection began. The primary research questions for the proposed continuation are: 1) How do decreases in endogenous hormones affect levels in total cholesterol and lipid fractions in normal women undergoing a natural menopause; 2) How do transmenopausal changes in sex hormones interact with other cardiovascular risk factors (blood pressure, body mass, diet components, smoking); and 3) Are there pre-disposing, pre-menopausal or menopausal factors which increase post-menopausal CVD risk independently of estrogen changes (for example, timing of menopause, length of peri- menopause)? To address these questions, prospective data are being collected on: FSH, LH, Estradiol, Estrone, SHBG, DHEA-S, Total Cholesterol, HDL-C, HDL-1, HDL-2, Apo-A1, Apo-B, Serum Glucose, Blood Pressure, BMI, current drug use, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, diet, sexual function, and other pertinent health and lifestyle information. The unique features of this study include: sufficient numbers and follow-up period to reliably estimate transmenopausal changes in hormones and lipids and their association; cohort of women which represents U.S. women in the age group 50-60 and which has known representation of Massachusetts women from which it was sampled; information on key covariates (smoking, BMI) with which to adequately adjust estimates and associations: and the expertise to fully analyze these longitudinal data using the latest random effects modelling approaches.
| Crawford, S L; Casey, V A; Avis, N E et al. (2000) A longitudinal study of weight and the menopause transition: results from the Massachusetts Women's Health Study. Menopause 7:96-104 |
