Top in women's health: Menopause symptom disparities; personalized postmenopausal care

Menopause symptoms and their severity level appeared to differ among racial and ethnic groups regardless of socioeconomic status, according to study results published in Menopause.

Reports of hot flashes, skin and hair changes, pain during intercourse and weight changes were among the symptoms that varied.

“The study reveals that the severity of menopause symptoms varies among different racial and ethnic groups, irrespective of socioeconomic status, emphasizing the independent influence of race and ethnicity on menopausal experiences,” Eduardo Hariton, MD, MBA, a reproductive endocrinologist at the Reproductive Science Center at the University of California, San Francisco, told Healio. “Understanding and addressing these disparities is crucial for developing tailored interventions and support systems to improve the quality of life for menopausal women from diverse backgrounds.”

It was the top story in women’s health last week.

Another top story was about a 20-year update on the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) trials. Researchers said the results emphasize the significance of personalized care and shared decision-making for postmenopausal women.

Read these and more top stories in women’s health below:

Menopause symptom severity tied to race, ethnicity, regardless of socioeconomic status

Regardless of socioeconomic status, menopause symptom severity was associated with race and ethnicity, highlighting differences in symptom experiences, according to study results published in Menopause. Read more.

Q&A: At 20 years, WHI emphasizes personalized postmenopausal care, shared decision-making

Results of WHI trials highlight the importance of personalized health care in combination with shared decision-making for postmenopausal women, according to a review published in JAMA. Healio spoke with JoAnn E. Manson, MD, MPH, DrPH, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, to understand WHI trial results and the program’s implications for future women’s health research. Read more.

Black patients unequally affected by urine drug screening with no prenatal care indication

Ordering urine drug screens with no prenatal care indication may have disproportionately negative effects on Black pregnant patients, according to an oral presentation at the ACOG Annual Clinical & Scientific Meeting. Read more.

Targeted routine screening may identify pregnant women in need of syphilis treatment

Targeted routine syphilis screening may help identify pregnant women in the first and third trimester in need of treatment compared with universal screening, researchers reported at the ACOG Annual Clinical & Scientific Meeting. Read more.

Various risk factors tied to opioid overdose for pregnant, postpartum women

Socioeconomic and sociodemographic factors appeared associated with opioid overdose in pregnant and postpartum women, highlighting the need for more research, drug screening and judgment-free services for those at high risk, researchers reported at the ACOG Annual Clinical & Scientific Meeting. Read more.