Racial disparities in hormone therapy acceptance in perimenopausal, postmenopausal women
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
A pilot study published in Menopause highlighted racial disparities in the acceptance of systemic and local hormone therapy in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.
“This study continues a previous study performed at a dedicated menopause-focused clinic serving a large Black population burdened with substantial comorbidities that directly impact treatment options and preferences in menopause care,” Anita Pershad, BA, fourth-year medical student in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, and colleagues wrote. “Continued monitoring of the trends, risk factors and treatment preferences in this patient population will help clinicians serving a more diverse racial and socioeconomic patient population to provide better tailored care and counseling to patients undergoing menopausal transition.”
Researchers conducted a retrospective medical record review involving 113 patients who presented to a menopause clinic at an urban university-affiliated academic medical center in the Midsouth between July 2018 and July 2021. Of these patients, 51% self-reported as Black, 42% as white and 7% as unknown or declined to answer. Researchers collected data on patient demographics, medical comorbidities, presenting menopausal symptoms and treatments for any menopause-related complaints.
During the 3-year study period, 42 patients presented to a menopause clinic with a primary complaint of vasomotor symptoms. Of these patients, 55% accepted lifestyle modification therapy and 45% accepted HT. There were also 34 patients who presented with a primary complaint of vaginal dryness, of which 85% accepted the recommendation of moisturizers or lubricants and 15% accepted vaginal HT.
Among patients who presented with vasomotor symptoms, 25% were not eligible for systemic HT due to medical comorbidities. However, 37 patients were eligible, with 49% of white patients and 24% of Black patients accepting HT (P = .01).
Researchers observed a 24% lower likelihood of accepting HT for menopausal symptom management in Black patients compared with white patients (OR = 0.24; 95% CI, 0.09-0.64).
“This study highlights a previously underrecognized racial disparity in acceptance of HT among perimenopausal and postmenopausal patients,” the researchers wrote. “We provide insight into the trends and treatment preferences in an understudied patient demographic, which can help provide better tailored care and counseling for patients.”
Collapse
Read more about
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts