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 |
| constipation menopause |
|
Dulcolax^ - Constipation, gender and age. (en_US) If you are approaching or experiencing menopause, you may find it helpful to refer to our Avoiding Constipation and Treating Constipation sections to Constipation tales fifteen Two years ago I started going through early menopause. myself in either the diarrhea section or the constipation section as I suffer from both really. Help!!! Going through Menopause and am having severe constipation Going through Menopause and am having severe constipation. Community members of MedHelp provide help, support, guidance and discussion around the topic of Menopause and Constipation Every woman in the world will at one-time in her life be faced with menopause. Early menopause will begin in the late forties or early fifties at which time menopause and constipation Archive - HealthBoards.com Message Boards I am asking this for my sister-she is in menopause and has had a hard time with constipation once a month is this a symtom? Medications for Constipation - Menopause This article discusses the medications used to treat constipation. - Medications for Constipation - Menopause is a personally written site at BellaOnline. How to Resolve Constipation - Menopause What can be done to help naturally relieve constipation? Read this article for suggestions. - How to Resolve Constipation - Menopause is a personally Health 24 - Menopause, About Menopause Other symptoms associated with menopause include nausea, flatulence, constipation or diarrhoea. Menopause and ageing. More general symptoms that are Menopause and Constipation Learn about Menopause and Constipation, and search for other issues and information about coping with modern menopause. Constipation at Menopause Insight Menopause Insight is a wonderfully insightful website designed for women experiencing the change of life known as Menopause. Examine the ways in which Digestive Distress Your body knows more about menopause than your doctor does - empower yourself o Constipation and digestive distress are common side effects from taking |
| constipation menopause |
|
hormones and surgical menopause duration of menopause 35 symptoms of menopause late periods menopause |