Study Finds Menopause Symptoms Can Be PredictedThe number of eggs left in a woman's ovaries are like the grains of sand in an hourglass, ticking away the hours on her biological clock.Researchers now say they may be able to predict when that clock will wind down. And while doctors can't actually count the number of eggs in an ovary, they can measure ovarian volume. British researchers say there's a direct correlation between the two, and by measuring ovarian volume with transvaginal ultrasound, doctors should be able to predict when menopause will set in and how many fertile years a woman has left. According to the study authors, this information will revolutionize the care of women looking for assisted reproductive technologies, including those who were treated for childhood cancers as well as women who want to put off starting a family for whatever reason. Although information still needs to be validated in clinical studies, its benefit is most likely to start with women who are being treated for cancer and women attending fertility clinics, said Tom Kelsey, co-author of the study appearing June 17 in the journal Human Reproduction. "If women looking for some sort of assisted conception and their physicians know that they've got a long time till menopause, then you could plan for a range of treatments," said Kelsey, who is a senior research fellow at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. "If you knew menopause was likely in four to five years, you'd plan a different set of IVF [in vitro fertilization] treatments." Others reiterate, however, that the findings should be treated with caution. "Should a young woman who is 30 years old go for a test to figure out whether she's got three, five or 10 years left on her fertility? Should she make career decisions and life decisions? Are these data good enough to make those determinations?" asked Dr. Alan Copperman, director of reproductive medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. "The answer is obviously no to all of those questions. The predictive value of this test is not good enough to go and tell someone to change their life." According to the article, eggs form in a female's ovary while she is still in the womb, peaking at several million about halfway through gestation and then starting a continuous decline. At birth, there are several hundred thousand and, when menstruation begins, about 300,000. At about age 37, a woman has about 25,000 eggs left, and at menopause only about 1,000. The time at which menopause sets in is widely believed to be based on the number of eggs reaching a critically low threshold. The authors of this study measured ovarian volume with transvaginal ultrasound, then looked at the relationship between ovarian volume -- ovaries shrink as a woman ages -- and number of eggs. They then applied mathematical and computer models to predict menopause. The study authors are negotiating with a medical school to set up clinical trials. The idea would be to follow women to see if their predictions were indeed correct. While these authors have come up with a tool to potentially help women plan their lives, a second study in the same issue of Human Reproduction warned that women might not want to leave it too late. Assisted reproductive technology (ART) could not be relied upon to fully compensate for lack of natural fertility after the age of 35, the article stated. The authors used a computer simulation model to determine that the overall success rate of assisted reproductive technology would be 30 percent for those attempting to get pregnant from age 30, 24 percent for those trying from age 35, and 17 percent from age 40. SOURCES: Tom Kelsey, Ph.D., senior research fellow, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland; Alan Copperman, M.D., director, reproductive medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York; June 17, 2004, Human Reproduction |
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Mental Help Net - Women's Health - Hormones After Menopause This can also protect against the loss of bone after menopause. But there are risks. Estrogen used alone can cause cancer of the lining of the uterus Post-menopause - WebMD Related Guide: Incontinence and Menopause, Sex After Menopause, Are You on a Rollercoaster? Menopause and Depression, Related Guide: Osteoporosis Quiz: Obesity Risks Increase After Menopause Postmenopausal women are at an age when the incidence and exacerbation of the chronic health conditions associated with obesity become more prevalent. Menopause Information There is life after menopause, and you may find it far more exciting Well, put your fears to rest, because life after menopause can be quite enjoyable. Staying Healthy After Menopause Sexual activity may decrease for some women during and after menopause. The symptoms of menopause, such as drier genital tissues and lower estrogen levels, Staying Healthy After Menopause - New York Presbyterian Hospital According to the National Institutes of Health, women after menopause should consume 1500 mg of calcium per day if they are not using hormone replacement Urologic Dysfunction After Menopause Urologic Dysfunction After Menopause Overview. Urologic conditions that can occur around the time a woman goes through menopause include bladder control Menopause - Alternatives to HRT - Patient UK You tend to lose some skin protein (collagen) after the menopause. This makes the skin drier, thinner, and more likely to itch. You may have less underarm Create Health London Clinic This means that after the menopause you will experience both short and long term physical and psychological changes. Not every woman will have symptoms, Sex after the menopause These days, there is no earthly reason why women cannot continue to enjoy a happy and satisfying sex life during and after the menopause, if they want one. ThirdAge: Sex After Menopause Many women find that sex after menopause can actually be more enjoyable and fulfilling than in younger years. Find out what to expect and how to easily plan Is Bleeding after Menopause Normal? A. While it's normal to experience changes in bleeding as you near menopause, bleeding after menopause has happened is a sign to call your health care Menopause and Sexual Desire - Is There Sex After Menopause? Is loss of sexual desire after menopause normal? Find out what is and isn't normal about non-hormonal causes of decreased sexual desire and learn what BMJ BestTreatments :: Conditions :: Menopause :: What will happen? When you reach the menopause, your body no longer makes some hormones. You can't get pregnant and have children after the menopause. The menopause Research into the menopause is relatively recent. One hundred years ago, when life expectancy was shorter, most women did not live long after the menopause The Menopause, Naturally - After the menopause During the five years just after the menopause, women lose bone mass at the highest rate in their lives. This can lead to osteoporosis, a serious condition Weight gain after menopause: Reverse the middle age spread Weight gain after menopause â” Causes of weight gain and strategies to minimize weight gain. BBC News | HEALTH | Women 'happier' after menopause Women's lives change for the better once they are past the menopause, suggests a survey. Sex after the menopause The menopause is the time when a woman's periods stop. In the UK, this usually happens between the ages of 47 and 53. |
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