There are heterogeneous patterns of menopausal symptoms associated with race/ethnicity, reproductive hormones, premenopause body mass index, and psychosocial characteristics, according to a recent study. The sample included 1,455 women from 5 racial/ethnic groups from the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation with nonsurgical menopause at a median follow-up of 15.4 years. Researchers found:

• 4 distinct trajectories of vasomotor symptoms (VMS) were found:

o onset early with decline after menopause (early onset 18.4%);

o onset near the final menstrual period with later decline (late onset, 29.0%);

o onset early with persistently high frequency (high, 25.6%);

o and persistently low frequency (low, 27.0%).

• Women with persistently high and early onset VMS had a more adverse psychosocial and health profile relative to women with persistently low frequency of VMS.

• Black women were overrepresented in the late onset and high VMS subgroups relative to white women.

• Obese women were underrepresented in the late onset subgroup.

Citation: Tepper PG, Brooks MM, Randolph JF Jr., et al. Characterizing the trajectories of vasomotor symptoms across the menopausal transition. [Published online ahead of print July 11, 2016]. Menopause. doi:10.1097/GME.0000000000000676.