EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDY OF THE LATE REPRODUCTIVE YEARS

描述：（改编自研究者摘要）这是一个 对非裔美国人的激素和症状的纵向研究， 育龄晚期的白人女性，年龄35-47岁。 的 具体目标是：1）描述波动和速率的特征， 所选激素的变化：硫酸脱氢表雄酮（DHEAS）， 促卵泡激素（FSH）、促黄体生成激素（LH）和 雌二醇; 2）通常评估心理和身体症状 与生殖衰老相关; 3）将激素变化与 症状的严重程度; 4）比较非裔美国人和 白种女人 主要的假设是：a）心理和 与生殖老化有关的身体症状与 激素变化的波动或速率; B）DHEAS，肾上腺素 衰老激素标志物，可能对心理 症状; c）心理症状与发生不相关 血管紧张症状之前和d）症状和激素的任何差异 非洲裔美国人和白人妇女之间的比较是微不足道的， 控制已经发现的区分这些 例如教育、收入、婚姻状况和身体质量。 400名女性（200名非洲裔美国人，200名 白人）将通过随机数字拨号进行识别。 妇女 年龄为35-47岁，研究入组时月经周期正常。 每隔9个月将进行6次评估， 随着时间的推移评估研究变量。 超过80%的美国女性经历过心理或身体症状 在生育年龄逐渐减少的情况下， 破坏正常功能。 这项研究将填补一个重要的空白 激素变化和症状之间的关系 在生育后期，并提供有关这些方面的第一批信息， 非裔美国女性的因素。 此外，调查结果将 重要的是临床医生解决妇女的生育问题， 晚生育年龄，并将增加我们的作用的理解， 生殖老龄化导致的老年人发病率和死亡率增加 绝经后妇女。

DESCRIPTION: (Adapted from the Investigators Abstract) This is a longitudinal study of hormones and symptoms of African-American and Caucasian women in their late reproductive years, ages 35-47. The specific aims are to: 1) characterize the fluctuations and rates of change of selected hormones: dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and estradiol; 2) evaluate psychological and physical symptoms commonly associated with reproductive aging; 3) correlate hormone changes with the severity of symptoms; 4) compare the result between African American and Caucasian women. The broad hypotheses are that: a) psychological and physical symptoms which occur with reproductive aging are associated with the fluctuations or rates of hormonal changes; b) DHEAS, an adrenal hormone marker of aging, may have a direct effect on psychological symptoms; c) psychological symptoms are not correlated with and occur prior to vasomotor symptoms and d) any difference in symptom and hormones compared between African American and Caucasian women is negligible after controlling for variables that have been found to differentiate these groups such as education, income, marital status, and body mass. A population-based sample of 400 women (200 African-American, 200 Caucasian) will be identified through random digit dialing. The women will be ages 35-47, with regular menstrual cycles at study enrollment. There will be six assessments, conducted at 9-month intervals, to evaluate the study variables over time. More than 80% of U.S. women experience psychological or physical symptoms in the waning reproductive years, with varying degrees of severity and disruption of normal functioning. This study will fill an important gap in the knowledge of relationships between hormone changes and symptoms in the late reproductive years and provide the first information on these factors in African-American women. In addition, the findings will be important for clinicians addressing fertility problems of women in their late reproductive years and will increase our understanding of the role of reproductive aging in the increased morbidity and mortality of postmenopausal women.