This means that women of color often go without adequate care during menopause, signaling to them that their suffering is insignificant, said Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director for the Menopause Society and a director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Women’s Health. Researchers have followed a group of more than 3,000 women in perimenopause and menopause for decades and have found a few key differences: Black and Hispanic women reach menopause earlier than white, Chinese and Japanese women. They also experience certain menopausal symptoms for 10 or more years — almost twice as long as do white, Chinese and Japanese women. But researchers have found that Black women are more likely to experience more intense and more frequent hot flashes; Black women also endure them for more years than those of other races. When Anjum Shah, a 55-year-old city planner in Orlando, Fla., started having hot flashes at 48, she knew it was connected to menopause.

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Persons: Stephanie Faubion, “, ”, —, Anjum Shah, I’d, Ms, Shah Organizations: Mayo Clinic Center, Women’s Health Locations: perimenopause, Orlando, Fla