Glossary · Research

SWAN (Study of Women's Health Across the Nation)

Also called: Study of Women's Health Across the Nation.

Definition: The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) is a multi-ethnic longitudinal cohort study following more than 3,000 US women through the menopause transition. SWAN data underlie much of what is known about symptom duration, ethnic differences, and the natural history of menopause in diverse populations.

Detailed definition

SWAN is an NIH-funded multi-site, multi-ethnic longitudinal study of midlife women across the US, launched in 1994. It enrolled more than 3,300 women aged 42–52 across seven US sites, with planned follow-up through and beyond menopause. SWAN has produced foundational evidence on symptom duration (e.g., median 7.4 years of moderate-to-severe vasomotor symptoms), ethnic differences (African American women have longer and more severe VMS; Japanese American and Chinese American women have shorter VMS on average), the four VMS trajectories (early-onset, late-onset, persistent, minimal), associations between VMS and cardiovascular and cognitive markers, and the cognitive dip during the menopause transition with subsequent recovery.

Why it matters in menopause

SWAN data are why we know that menopause symptoms last roughly 7 years on average rather than the older "year or two" assumption, and why we know ethnic and demographic factors affect the picture. The evidence informs realistic patient expectations and individualized treatment durations.

Sources

External references: Wikipedia.

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