African American women are at excess risk for CHD and its sequelae and this risk may be linked, in part, to the menopausal transition. However, knowledge in this subgroup has been based on a small number of cross-sectional studies of patients. Basic descriptive data on the timing of the natural menopausal transition and the co- occurrence of symptoms and adverse changes in CHD risk factors are unavailable. The purpose of this investigation is to conduct a longitudinal, population-based study of the natural history of the menopausal transition and the decline in ovarian function in a population of 1342 African American women, ages 40-50, living in a socioeconomically diverse, geographically defined area of Chicago.
Specific aims are to provide basic descriptive data on: (I) The timing of the menopausal transition; (2) markers of decline in ovarian function; and (3) changes in CHD risk factors.
Specific aims are also to determine: (4) the impact of socioeconomic status on the age of menopause and surgical/hormonal treatment choices; (5) the relationship between hormonal levels and psychosocial cushioning factors on severity and perceived importance of menopausal symptoms; and (6) the impact of the perimenopause on weight gain during this period. All residents in the study community will have been enumerated as part of a larger, ongoing, community-based investigation. During the first year of the study, these women will be contacted to determine eligibility and obtain basic menstrual information. Those who are consenting premenopausal women will undergo a baseline exam, including a blood draw, measurement of CHD risk factors, evaluation of sociodemographic data, and completion of an at-home psychosocial questionnaire. Following the baseline exam, all women will monitor the occurrence and duration of their menstrual periods and menopausal symptoms on a monthly basis to determine onset of perimenopause, and will undergo 3 repeat annual exams. Analyses will be conducted on the total cohort, featuring updated prognostic information, with additional analyses conducted on the perimenopausal subgroup.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 421 publications
