Center for Midlife Science: Improving Health, Enhancing Function

PUBLISHED: “Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals and Female Reproductive Aging ” with lead author and Center Doctoral Student Jiaxin Wu, MPH

Congratulations to Center Doctoral Student Jiaxin Wu, MPH, on her first publication as a lead author in Seminars in Reproductive Medicine.

“Female reproductive aging often affects women's emotional, physical, and physiological well-being. Ovarian aging is characterized by fluctuations in reproductive hormones and determines the age at which menopause occurs. Understanding potentially modifiable factors that influence this process is essential for addressing health disparities, improving quality of life, and informing relevant public health strategies. ”

» Read the study at Seminars in Reproductive Medicine

In the news: “Women farmworkers in Michigan face unique work challenges” on Michigan Radio

Alexis Handal, PhD, MPH and Lisbeth Iglesias-Ríos, PhD, MPH, MA

“We are finding exploitative conditions that are unique for women farmworkers around issues of sexual harassment, exposures during pregnancy, challenges with obtaining and having access to proper hygiene and sanitation, particularly during menstruation, and also really important aspects of work-life balance and child care issues that women farmworkers in particular face-” — Alexis J. Handal, PhD, MPH (Co-Study Lead, Michigan Farmworker Project).

» Read more on Michigan Radio

PUBLISHED: “Self-reported history of physical intimate partner violence and longitudinal cognitive performance in midlife women” with lead author and Center Doctoral Student Jillian Baker, MPH, BA

Congratulations to Center Doctoral Student Jillian Baker, MPH, BA, on her first publication as a lead author in Women’s Health.

“Midlife women with a history of physical intimate partner violence exhibited a persistent decrease in the trajectory of working memory. These longitudinal findings extend previous cross-sectional reports which found that physical intimate partner violence had detrimental effects on working memory.”

» Read the study at Women’s Health

In the News: “What Do We Know About Environment, Climate, And Menopause? Not Enough” with Center Core Faculty Sung Kyun Park, ScD, MPH

“Our data suggests that women with higher blood concentrations of PFOA and PFOS reached menopause earlier … than those with low exposure. This is equivalent to the effect of cigarette smoke, a known reproductive toxicant, where we compared current smokers and nonsmokers.”

» Read more at Moms Clean Air Force

IN THE NEWS: “Discrimination Could Be Making People of Color Age Faster” with Center affiliate Alexis N. Reeves, PhD, MPH on Scientific American podcast (AUDIO 🔊)

“We found that Black and Hispanic women had a higher risk of having surgical menopause... and we found that hypertension occurred about five years earlier, and metabolic outcomes such as diabetes and insulin resistance about 11 years earlier for Black and Hispanic women versus white women.’”

» Listen to Scientific American’s Science Quickly podcast

IN THE NEWS: “Your Doctor Retired — Now What? ” in CoveyClub, with comments from Center Core Faculty Siobán D. Harlow, PhD

“It’s a time that women have to advocate very strongly for themselves so that their symptoms are not ignored. What’s important is that you feel that your doctor is listening to you and addressing your concerns — not just doing a checklist.”

» Read more at CoveyClub

News

Publications

Project: Michigan Bone Health & Metabolism Study (MBHMS Bone Strength)

The 35-year MBHMS follows the daughters of participants in the historic Tecumseh Community Health Study to evaluate the impact of aging-related processes including menopause and the secular increase in obesity on the development and progression of musculoskeletal disease and declines in physical functioning. This study addresses a significant gap in scientific knowledge that impedes our ability to optimize fracture prevention strategies. If our hypotheses prove correct, baseline external bone size may be used as an additional parameter to identify women most likely to lose bone strength rapidly during the MT and who might benefit from early intervention.

Project: Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN)

Now in its 30th year, the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation is a multi-site, multi-ethnic longitudinal, study designed to examine the health — physical, biological, psychological and social changes — of women during the midlife and as they age. The resulting research helps scientists, health care providers and women learn how mid-life experiences affect health and quality of life during the midlife and as they age.

Project: SWAN Genomic Analyses

SWAN Genomic Analyses performed dense genome-wide genotyping and imputation of genetic variants throughout the genome to the Haplotype Reference Consortium (HRC) reference panel in 1538 SWAN participants. This project enables SWAN to participate in genetic consortia focused on reproductive aging as well as risk factors for health and disease in women with data uploaded to dbGaP. We are also conducting gene-based analyses to assess the association of menopausal traits, including vasomotor symptoms, with genetic loci previously identified to be associated with age at menarche and menopause. (AG 017719)