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

cure herbal menopause
Menozac - Natural Menopause Support
Menozac is a botanical alternative medicine formulation which contains a blend of all natural herbal extracts developed to ease the transition and provide

Menopause Herbal Treatment
Learn about Menopause Herbal Treatment, and search for other issues and information about coping with modern menopause.

FOXNews.com - Herbal Menopause Treatment Ineffective - Health News
Herbal Menopause Treatment Ineffective, A popular herbal treatment called black cohosh is practically ineffective at relieving hot flashes and night sweats

The Menopause, Naturally - Some natural therapies to consider
Some of the herbs used to ease symptoms of the menopause include:. Black cohosh: many women find this herbal root helps reduce hot flushes and vaginal

34 Menopause Symptoms Treatment with Herbal MacaActive
Read important information about the 34 menopause symptoms. Learn about the causes and possible treatments with herbal MacaActive for the 34 menopause

Menopause Natural Remedy - RealAge Menopause Center
Symptoms of menopause assessment There is growing evidence that some herbal remedies may help alleviate menopausal symptoms. The most commonly used herbal

Alternative Medicine PMS Shatavari Infertility Menopause Herbal Remedy
Ayurveda PMS Female hormone Infertility Menopause Herbal Remedy Herb herbal medicines remedy health herbs healing cure treatment relief supplements

Herbal treatment little help for menopause - Women's health- msnbc.com
A popular herbal treatment called black cohosh is practically ineffective at relieving hot flashes and night sweats in women going through menopause,

Menopause Symptoms: Natural Menopause Treatment
Herbal Supplements for Menopause. A number of herbal supplements are on the market red clover is now being touted as a cure-all for menopause symptoms.

Herbal Menopause Treatment - article by AySi Useful Articles For You
The writer of this article makes herbal menopause treatment more accessible to the average reader than most writers.

PMS, Menopause Herb Treatment
Herbal PMS & Menopause Treatment. Super Fem is Natural Herb Remedy and a powerful Supplement to treat the symptoms of PMS and Menopause.

Menopause Symptoms & Safe Menopause Solutions
Learn more about early signs of menopause symptoms, perimenopause and menopause symptoms, is there any herbal treatment endometriosis information?

Natural and Herbal Menopause Treatment
A herbal and naturally formulated treatment for menopause symptoms for women.Stop mood swings, anxiety and depression.

Herbal medicine, Most Useful Herbs For Menopause, Menopause and
Herbal medicine and Menopause. A comprehensive treatment of menopause, hot flashes, Here the treatment of menopause using Herbal medicine is described.

Natural Menopause Treatment
To create the Menozac all natural menopause treatment we have combined a number of herbal supplements recommended by some of the leading experts in the

Study: Black Cohosh Herbal Treatment for Menopause Works The Wires
PHILADELPHIA -- According to a new study, the herbal remedy black cohosh, developed by American Indians to ease menopause symptoms is effective in clinical

Menopause Online
HERBS Herbs can help some of the symptoms of menopause. TAKE OUR TEST: IS HRT FOR YOU? to determine which menopause treatment methods are best for you.

MellowPause Herbal Menopause Product - Natural Herbs for Menopause
Complete menopause program with MellowPause herbal menopause product; These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Herbal treatment in the Menopause
The treatment of the symptoms of menopause by herbal medicine has a long history of usage and is often clinically the only intervention required.


cure herbal menopause
fluid retention menopause
after menopause menstruation
in menopause sensuality
herbal menopause treatment uk