Our Transitions: Improving the Path to Menopause With Personal Digital Health Technologies

Overview

The goal of this observational study is to build knowledge about the path to menopause using subjective, self-reported and objectively measured information from multiple wearable study devices and a smartphone app. This study is being done in female individuals who are 35-55 years of age. The eventual aim of this work is two-fold; 1) to increase knowledge, awareness and education for individuals and clinicians about the lived experience of perimenopause and menopause through objectively measured data from digital study devices, and 2) to develop approaches to empower female individuals to manage this transition by learning what improves or worsens their symptoms.

The ultimate objective of this research is to determine the feasibility of using multiple wearable study devices and smartphone apps to detect, track and learn how to share insights about symptoms during the path to menopause. The investigators anticipate that up to 250 participants will participate for 6 to 9 months. Participants will complete surveys and active tasks in a study app that takes on average 5 minutes a day, be provided with an Oura Ring Gen 4 and a Fitbit Sense 2 and will be expected to wear them daily. Participants will be expected to check in with a research coordinator every two weeks to go over participations and provide feedback on the wearable devices and smartphone apps. A subset of participants will be invited to participate in an at-home daily urine hormone collection for 3 menstrual cycles, measuring hormones including Luteinizing Hormone (LH), Estrone-3-glucuronide (E3G), and Pregnanediol Glucuronide (PdG). A different subset will be invited to participate in a vasomotor detection cohort using the new Vire Clip that captures core body temperature through heat flow, the dynamics of respiratory effort, and skin conductance measures at multiple layers of the skin. There will be a 'Bring Your Own Device' cohort after the main cohort enrollment is complete, where those with a personal wearable device will be invited to participate in the use of the study app for 6 to 9 months. Investigators will collect self-reported subjective symptoms and objectively measured physiological information to understand what participants learn about the use of these tools in tracking peri/menopausal symptoms. This study is done in collaboration between 4YouandMe, Women Living Better, Vector Institute, and is funded by the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Foundation.