Oura ring and Clue period tracker team up for perimenopause research

The aim of the study is to better understand and predict the changes women go through in later life, to help provide them with resources and guidance so they feel supported.

Wearable Oura ring and period tracker Clue have announced that they are partnering with the University of California Berkeley to conduct menopause research.

Clue has previously found that 70% of women weren’t sure what perimenopause was. And the impact of misunderstanding or not knowing about menopause can be significant. According to research, 10% of women will stop working earlier than necessary due to their unmanaged symptoms of menopause.

Using Oura Ring, researchers can monitor the physiological fluctuations of perimenopausal and menopausal women. Oura will donate rings to the participants in the UC Berkeley study and will collect biometric data, including heart rate, skin temperature, heart rate variability and sleep changes.

The proposed study will use historical cycle data (cycle length and variability), a survey, Clue symptom tracking, and Oura data (sleep, stress, HRV, etc.) to help quantify when someone is entering perimenopause, and, if relevant, how far they are into their journey.

The aim of the study is to better understand and predict the changes women go through in later life, to help provide them with resources, tools, and guidance so they feel supported through this transition.

It also paves the way for your Clue app to notify you when you might be perimenopausal - although Clue would likely only offer this to those who have already switched on ‘perimenopause mode.’

An ongoing partnership - with perimenopause a priority

Clue and Oura announced an original partnership in November 2023 to integrate the Oura ring with the Clue app on iOS for seamless temperature trend tracking. That followed Clue research which found body temperature was ranked as the most valuable biometric marker to be integrated in the Clue app.

It also followed the launch of Clue’s perimenopause mode to help women and people with cycles better navigate their transition to menopause.

At the time, Clue Chief Product Officer Rhiannon White indicated that perimenopause would be a priority research area for the Clue / Oura partnership. Rhiannon said:

“There’s still so much we don’t know about the early signs of perimenopause and what factors influence the frequency and severity of symptoms,” says White. “The combination of real-time bio-sensing with Oura Ring and self-tracked experiences in Clue offers a unique opportunity for research to potentially help inform earlier diagnosis, and better symptom management and support.”