Study Finds Menopause Symptoms Can Be Predicted

The 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

contraception during menopause pre
Contraception Online Slides - fallopian+tubes, tubal ligation
Pregnancy is understood to mean the implantation of a pre-embryo in the uterine wall. Contraception During Perimenopause: Sterilization

BioMed Central | Full text | Perimenopausal contraception in
Kailas NA, Sifakis S, Koumantakis E: Contraception during perimenopause. The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:

CKS: Menopause - In depth - Management issues
Assess menopausal state: stage of menopause (pre-, peri-, For further advice on contraception during the perimenopause, see HRT and contraception.

Menopause and Chemotherapy
Many pre-menopausal women retain or recover ovarian function and their periods Some women have hot flashes for a very short time during menopause.

OBGYN.net Pre-, Peri-, Menopause, and Beyond !
In a woman, bone mass peaks at age 35 and lost at a rate of 1% per year after that time, and can be up to 3% per year after menopause. During perimenopause

Contraception in Pre Menopause. Injectable and IUD (coil
Menopause and treatment options. An independent, clinician-led site aiming to The three-monthly progestogen preparation contraceptive injection (Depo

Google Answers: pregnancy
It's rare for a woman who is in perimenopause (pre-menopause) to get pregnant . During perimenopause, the pituitary gland and ovaries gradually change as

Menopause/Contraception
that play an important role in the regulation of pre-embryo development Menopause/Contraception. Wednesday 4 July 2001. Albertville. 14.00â“14.15

FHI - Contraceptive Update: Contraceptive Needs after Age 40
In general, perimenopausal women -- those approaching menopause -- have a broader range of contraceptive methods available to them than younger women,

Menopause and Pregnancy at Menopause Insight
There you have it - it is possible to become pregnant during menopause! methods of contraception for pre-menopausal and perimenopausal women alike.

menopause (contraception during) - General Practice Notebook
menopause (contraception during) is increased in older women and there is a higher incidence of pregnancy associated morbidity e.g. pre-eclampsia.

Contraception Online Slides - definition, contraception, pre
Contraceptive methods that prevent the implantation of a pre-embryo, During early perimenopause, the length of the menstrual cycle becomes variable.

Google Directory - Health > Reproductive Health > Birth Control
Advice for women in pre-menopause about the continuing need for contraception and special concerns they may have in selecting a method to use, from Women's

Perimenopausal contraception in Turkish women: A cross-sectional study
J Br Menopause Soc. 2003;9:123â“8. doi: 10.1258/136218003100322350. PubMed; Kailas NA, Sifakis S, Koumantakis E. Contraception during perimenopause.

Low Dose Birth Control Pills in Pre-menopause? >> Medical
In pre-menopause, the use of a highly effective contraceptive is necessary, if you want to prevent another pregnancy. Irregular periods mean that you can

Answers to FAQs and Articles about Perimenopause and early
Commonly now, during the perimenopause/?menopause period we will have women I began pre-menopause at age 38 - seven years ago - and have been on HRT for

Pre Menopause Symptoms Vary Depending on Sensitivity to Hormonal
Pre menopause symptoms may be nonexistent or minor, but some women have multiple during puberty, you may see them return around the time of menopause.

Pregnancy During The Menopause
The probability of falling pregnant during pre-menopause is very small however radiotherapy or chemotherapy should also use contraceptive protection as

Open Directory - Health: Reproductive Health: Birth Control
Sexuality and Contraception When Approaching Menopause - Advice for women in pre-menopause about the continuing need for contraception and special concerns


contraception during menopause pre
during menopause month once spotting
menopause boston musical
condition more perimenopause symptom
clonidine menopause