Menopause and African-American women: clinical and research issues

There are currently 3.7 million African-American women aged 35-54 years, and over the next 20 years virtually all of them will experience menopause. Although menopause itself is generally thought of as a naturally occurring biological phenomenon, undergoing the process can increase a woman's risk of disease. This phenomenon is common to women in all racial and ethnic groups. Across these groups, however, the process may be subject to great variability. This article does not include issues related to all minority women, but instead focuses on menopause in African-American women. It is important to note that there may be issues among Asian and Hispanic women that are very different from those of whites and blacks. Unfortunately, there is very little epidemiologic data on menopause or its antecedents in African-American women or in women of other minority groups. To stimulate epidemiologic research into the process of menopause among African-American women, this report will examine data from clinical and government sources. A common problem is that these sources overlook aspects of menopause important for the health of black women in mid and later life, such as menopause-associated symptoms, potentially beneficial hormonal therapies, and potentially debilitating skeletal disease.