Menopause, aging, and everyday functioning in women
Official title: The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN): The Impact of Midlife and the Menopause Transition on Health and Functioning in Early Old Age
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11421739 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A long-term study following 3,302 diverse women to understand how the menopause transition affects health and daily functioning as they age.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2020 |
| Project end | August 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $9,127,718 |
| NIH project number | 2U19AG063720-05A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11421739 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Women aged 21+ who are participants or potential participants in long-term menopause-related aging research (current SWAN participants or similar cohorts).
✕Less likely to help
Results may not directly affect individuals who do not participate in long-term aging research or who are not experiencing menopause-related health changes.
What this research studies
This project continues a well-established cohort to track how menopause timing, hormonal changes, lifestyle, and psychosocial factors influence health and independence in midlife and early old age. Researchers will use decades of data and ongoing follow-up visits to examine multiple health domains, including cognition, physical abilities, and daily living. The study engages women across several racial/ethnic groups to capture a broad picture of aging in midlife. Findings could help tailor prevention and care strategies for women as they age.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could improve understanding of how menopause affects aging, informing personalized care to maintain independence and health.
How similar studies have gone: SWAN has a strong track record of revealing how menopause relates to health and functioning over time, supporting the potential for meaningful insights.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Brooks, Maria Mori — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Brooks, Maria Mori
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
How midlife health and menopause affect aging in women
This study looks at how women's health during midlife, especially around menopause, affects how well they age later in life, and it's for women who want to understand the connection between their health now and their future well-being.
-
Understanding how vaginal tissue changes after menopause affect reproductive health
A research team is studying why the vaginal lining changes after menopause and how this affects health, with potential solutions to improve comfort and reduce infection risk for postmenopausal women.
-
Menopause, hormones, and Alzheimer’s disease: an in vivo perspective
This project explores how hormone therapy around menopause might influence the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in postmenopausal women.
-
PREMAP: Predictors of Menopause-Related Psychosis
A study to understand what factors predict psychosis that can occur during menopause, with a focus on women going through that transition.
-
How vaginal lipids, antioxidants, and protective molecules affect menopause-related genitourinary symptoms across races
Researchers are tracking vaginal and blood chemicals in postmenopausal women of different races to learn how lipid, antioxidant, and osmoprotectant molecules relate to genitourinary menopause symptoms.
-
Menopause, Hormone Therapy, and HIV Risk in Cervical M mucosa
This project looks at how menopause and menopause hormone therapy may change the immune guard in the cervix, potentially affecting HIV risk for aging women.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.