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

depression a symptom of menopause
What is the sign and symptom checklist for clinical depression?
Read through the clinical depression symptom checklist to determine if you might have depression. Most people with clinical depression will not have every

Nearing Menopause? Depression a Risk
Menopause and Depression, Related Guide: Osteoporosis Quiz: Determine Your Risk . Which menopause symptom drives you the craziest? Hot flashes

Voice Change Is Overlooked Menopause Symptom
A new study sheds light on a menopause symptom that is often ignored: A woman's Menopause Diet: Natural Therapies · Hormone Changes May Hike Depression

35 Symptoms of Menopause
There is a feeling of loss of self. Hormone therapy ameliorates the depression dramatically. Symptom 25 (weight gain) often around the waist and thighs,

Depression menopause symptom Information - All About Depression
All about Depression. Learn how to cope with Depression.

34 Menopause Symptoms - all about each menopausal symptom.
Either way, though, it's a very unpleasant menopause symptom; it can be very . 34 Menopause Symptoms 20. Depression: Feelings of sadness can be normal,

signs of menopause
Signs 1-14 are the major, most common signs of peri-menopause and Symptom 22 (depression) different from other depression, the inability to cope is

Perimenopause Depression, Peri Menopause Depression
Perimenopause Depression: A Symptom To Address During menopause, your body is switching gears, so to speak, to allow you to move through your life.

Menopause and Depression: The Most Overlooked Symptom
Menopause is stage of a womanâ™s life when she has to pause activities of her life. This is not easy for any women to get rid of her responsibilities and set

Menopause and Depression
The symptoms of depression in menopause or perimenopause are: two or This way of thinking is a symptom of depression and will improve with treatment.

Menopause, Information about Menopause
The most common symptom of menopause is a change in the menstrual cycle, . depressed during menopause, but experts no longer believe that depression is

Menopause Symptom at wego health
Studies following women during their transition into menopause found that depression could be another menopause symptom caused by hormone fluctuation.

Managing Menopause - HT Questions and answers
Depression is not a symptom of menopause, although some of the physical changes may affect wellbeing, however most women cope well.

Manic Depression Symptom: Acknowledge Suffering Person
Manic Depression · Manic Depression Symptom · Menopause and Depression Manic Depression Symptom Can Acknowledge about the Suffering Person

Menopause in Women May Cause Depression( New York April 4. Women
Women approaching menopause are likely to face deprDepression is a substantial illness with significant morbidity Dry Eye Is A Symptom Of Menopause

How to Cope With Male Menopause and Depression
However, because of the decline in testosterone levels, men who experience male menopause often report problems with depression. This can also cause anxiety

Center for Health Research, Inc.; Menopause, menopause symptom
Menopause: Specializing in menopause symptom, menopause depression, menopause weight gain, loss of libido, natural menopause, chronic fatigue, hirsutism,

Is dry eye a symptom of menopause? - Drug Topics
Hot flashes, depression, insomnia, and vaginal dryness are the only symptoms of menopause, right? Wrong. Is dry eye a symptom of menopause?

Menopause and Depression
Learn about Menopause and Depression, and search for other issues and It is also helpful to know that this is a symptom of menopause that is not in your


depression a symptom of menopause
33 signs of menopause
estroven menopause test kit
food menopause phytoestrogens
loss menopause product weight