Study of Women's Health Across the Nation Interim Coord

University Of Pittsburgh At Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

[unreadable] DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) is a multicenter, multiethnic, community based, longitudinal study designed to characterize the biological and psychosocial changes that occur during the menopausal transition and to assess their effect on women's health. Current and past funding (SWAN I and II) support six years of follow-up, at the end of which 60% of observable transitions to postmenopause will have occurred. Together, this competitive renewal application (SWAN HI) and a separate competitive supplement application request funding to complete a total of 10 cohort follow-up visits, allowing us to capture 91% of observable transitions to postmenopause and thus providing a more representative sample. The additional data will permit a focus on the late perimenopausal and early postmenopausal periods that have not been well studied in the literature. As women reach the end of early postmenopause (two years following the final menstrual period), we will shift from an annual to a bi-annual follow-up schedule with mail and telephone contact in the alternating years. This will set the stage for cost-effective and less intensive follow-up beyond SWAN lB. We will continue our current observations as well as undertake new science in each of the four scientific project areas (ovarian aging; symptoms, risk factors, functioning and aging; cardiovascular risk factors; and determinants and outcomes of bone mass). The new science includes measurement of vascular stiffness to assess early cardiovascular disease, salivary cortisol levels, vertebral morphometry using newly developed DEXA technology, and circulating androgens and total bioactive estrogens using an assay system developed by SWAN investigators. In addition, we will focus on linking the menopause and midlife experiences to age-related outcomes and chronic diseases, including physical and cognitive function. The additional follow-up will contribute to and expand the SWAN biological specimen repository (annual blood and urine samples as well as DNA and immortalized cells), a separately funded component that broadens the opportunities to address future hypotheses about health, disease and aging. With SWAN llI, many of the original goals of SWAN will be brought to fruition. We will build upon the rich foundation developed during SWAN I and II, and ultimately, link these data to subsequent age-related health outcomes. [unreadable] [unreadable]