Smart ring maker ŌURA releases its first-ever Perimenopause Report
Report draws on de-identified data from 100,000 female users
Smart ring maker ŌURA continues its advance into women’s health with the release this week of its first-ever Perimenopause Report.
Using de-identified data from more than 100,000 female Oura Members over the course of one year, the report set out to identify the physiological changes that occur in the years before, during and after menopause.
The findings shed light on the range of physical and mental changes that women go through during this transition and provide insight into the impact this stage has on sleep, mood, energy levels, cardiovascular health, and more.
Dorothy Kilroy, chief commercial officer at ŌURA said:
"It's impossible to predict what each woman's experience will be as they go through perimenopause, which is why data from wearables is extremely powerful.”
"Some may have more symptoms than others, and those symptoms may be more mild or severe. Just knowing what those signs and symptoms are—and how they're affecting your personal well-being—can be extremely validating for those who are experiencing them. Our goal at Oura is to thread that needle so women can identify their symptoms and then work with their providers to find the solutions that best meet their needs."
Key findings include:
Lack of restorative sleep impairs daily functioning. Data show a progressive loss in sleep that results in up to two hours of lost sleep each week as women transition from perimenopause to postmenopause. More than half of women experience hot flashes and night sweats that can last anywhere from 30 seconds to 10 minutes, and up to 69 percent of hot flashes are associated with waking up during the night.
Perimenopause affects both physical and mental health. Oura Members in the late perimenopausal age range are 33 percent more likely to tag anger, 28 percent more likely to tag sadness, 44 percent more likely to tag migraine, and 51 percent more likely to tag acne than premenopausal women.
Cardiovascular risk factors increase. Heart rate variability, an important marker of cardiovascular health, declines 20 to 30 percent in early and late perimenopausal women.
Dorothy continued:
“The transition to perimenopause and menopause has been shrouded in silence, stigma, and misunderstanding for far too long, leaving many women unsure of when it happens, what to expect, or how to manage the changes they are experiencing.”
“Symptoms from perimenopause and menopause are real and pervasive, despite the fact that 44% of women feel they are not taken seriously by healthcare professionals. This report illuminates the reality of these symptoms, helping to redefine the narrative around perimenopause and allowing women, and those around them, to better understand this life stage and support their health journeys."
Perimenopause additions to Oura tagging
As part of its support for perimenopause, ŌURA has introduced 17 new tags specific to perimenopause and menopause onto its tagging platform to help members make the connection between various symptoms and how they show up in their data.
The list of tags is based on a comprehensive review of research studies examining symptoms most often linked to changes during perimenopause. These include irritability, hot flash, mood swings, crying, difficulty concentrating, spotting, and more.
Members who use these tags will also see them represented in their Cycle Insights Report, a shareable, six-month report of Cycle Insights data. The report includes cycle length, period length, temperature variation, cycle phases, and symptom tags, and is designed to support women in conversations with their healthcare providers as they work together to develop plans to manage symptoms, such as lifestyle changes or hormone replacement therapy.
Adding partnerships
ŌURA has also announced that it is partnering with a variety of like-minded brands and experts in the women's health space to help members better understand their bodies and offer discounted access to the solutions best suited to their individual needs. Among these partners are at-home hormone testing platforms Mira and Proov. Both Mira and Proov can help track hormones across the menstrual cycle and complement ŌURA insights, improving each individual's understanding of their hormone fluctuations and how this can be impacted by perimenopause.
For those interested in in-depth cycle tracking, ŌURA maintains an ongoing partnership with Clue, which recently introduced Clue Perimenopause mode and launched a new research study in collaboration with ŌURA and researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, to gain a deeper insight into the physiological changes that occur during perimenopause.
New this month, ŌURA is kicking off partnerships with Hertility and sanoLiving to bridge the gap between patients and providers and offer members access to in-house clinicians and partner clinics. Through these partnerships, Oura Members can connect with experts who specialise in perimenopause and menopause to receive tailored guidance and access appropriate treatments for managing symptoms. Hertility also offers at-home diagnostic testing with clinical grade results for advanced insights into the onset of menopause and provides access to other in-house specialist care, such as fertility counselling services.