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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Planned Parenthood - Menopause Women need to start living a healthy lifestyle long before the menopause to "Women cannot afford to wait until middle age to begin a healthy lifestyle. Menopause In this case, menopause begins immediately, with no perimenopause. The average age for menopause is 51. If menopause is reached naturally or surgically Hormone therapy and heart disease: Is it all in the timing? - MSN Certain factors can influence the age at which menopause begins. The age which a woman begins menopause can be influenced by certain factors. What Age Does Menopause Start Article But most hormone therapy prescriptions are written for women as menopause begins, and the average age of menopause in the United States is 51. Pre Menopause Symptoms Can Happen at Any Age One can see how hard it is to answer the question of "What age does menopause start?" The change of life can begin at any age. Average age of menopause Normally Occurs In The Late Fifties Unfortunately, pre menopause symptoms can present themselves at any age. These symptoms will generally not subside until actual menopause begins. When Does Menopause Really Begin? There is however ample evidence to suggest that menopause begins at some point in her The average age of menopause would normally be around the ages of Time of the year 'dictates when menopause begins' - Telegraph Time of the year 'dictates when menopause begins'. By Richard Savill It found that the average age of menopause was 49 years, 42 days - 49 years and Menopause - Age Page - Health Information They will begin experiencing average age of menopause and menopausal symptoms such as weight gain, water retention and mood swings. Average Age of Menopause Onset and What Age is Menopause There may be symptoms such as vaginal dryness long after menopause. The process of Áœreproductive agingÁ« begins around age 40. Multiple factors, including genetic and environmental components influence when menopause begins from Family Planning Perspectives in Health thus preserving oocytes and leading to later menopause; age at menopause Menopause Facts Menopause, which normally occurs between the ages of 40 and 55, is a natural event in a woman's life. On average, menopause begins at about age 51. Multiple Factors, Including Genetic and Environmental Components Five factors were significantly and independently associated with a lower age at menopause--smoking more than 10 cigarettes a day; not having graduated from humor middle age Menopause: Is It Really for You? humor middle age Are you prepared for menopause? Is anybody? The bodyÁ™s march toward menopause begins when the amount of estrogen and progesterone JSTOR: Multiple Factors, Including Genetic and Environmental Digests Multiple Factors, Including Genetic and Environmental Components, Influence When Menopause Begins Half of women reach natural menopause (i.e., Menopause 101 - DrDonnica.com - The First Name in Women's Health The average age for menopause in American women is 51. However, when menopause begins and the length of time it lasts varies for every woman. Publications The average age is 51. Smoking can lead to early menopause. So losing estrogen around the time of menopause causes women to begin to lose more bone than Menopause - CNN.com Every woman experiences menopause differently. Even the age at which menopause begins may be unique to you. Some women reach menopause in their 30s or 40s, |
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