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

diabetes and menopause
diabetes and menopause and no insurance
I know I am overweight and activated this disease because of my inactivity but.I.

Diabetes and Menopause
If you have diabetes, menopause â” and the years leading up to it during which your body gradually produces less estrogen (perimenopause) â” may present

Managing Menopause - Diabetes
Menopause, diabetes is a condition in which there is too much glucose (a type of sugar) in the blood because the body`s method of converting glucose into

WikiAnswers - A class of drugs for treatment of diabetes and
Answer "A class of drugs for treatment of diabetes and menopause called nitrates?" Even if you can't offer a complete answer, help us get things started.

Land o'Links - Menopause Online Resources
Bleeding and Flooding | Cancer: Br**st | Cancer: Gynecological | Depression, Mood Swings, Related Issues | Diabetes and Menopause | Fibroids | Grab Bag

EnableLink: Article: Surviving the Change - Menopause and Women
My suspicions were confirmed when I read a Canadian Press article about diabetes and menopause. In that story, Marlene Habib reported that the effects of

Diabetes-related causes of Menopause - WrongDiagnosis.com
List of 2 diabetes-related causes of Menopause symptom from a list of 10 total causes of symptom Menopause.

What's Hot: Diabetes and Menopause
When we came across an excellent research on menopause in type 1 diabetes, we felt it was important to share the information with you, our readers.

Radioactive Iodine
After menopause, the risk of vaginal yeast infections (vaginitis) increases for women with diabetes. As estrogen levels decrease, yeast and bacteria have an

Diabetes and Menopause
Menopause is complete when you have not menstruated for 12 months. Women with type 1 diabetes experience menopause earlier than average.

Diabetes Research Summary - Diabetes and Menopause - American
People with diabetes or women who have already had menopause are more likely to have problems with the cells that line their blood vessels and arteries;

Diabetes Research Summary - Reduced Insulin Sensitivity After
FOR MORE INFORMATION. Diabetes and Menopause · Is the Metabolic Syndrome Really a Syndrome? Now Available! Late-breaking Diabetes research summaries

Menstruation, Menopause & Diabetes
Menstruation, Menopause & Diabetes. By: Tricia O'Brien. Ask any woman: It can be difficult to weather "that time of the month" and "the change.

Menopause: Diabetes Mellitus and Syndrome X
Be sure to visit the Power Surge Reading Room, housing hundreds of articles on menopause and women's midlife health issues and the Transcript Library with

Menopause and diabetes: A twin challenge - Yahoo! Health
Diabetes and menopause: How menopause affects your diabetes and what you can do.

Menopause
One of the major difficulties for diabetics in dealing with menopause is the fact that some of the symptoms of diabetes and menopause can be very similar.

Menopause and diabetes: A twin challenge - MayoClinic.com
Diabetes and menopause â” what to expect, how to stay in control.

Menopause and diabetes: A twin challenge - CNN.com
Coping with the combination of diabetes and menopause may not be easy. Help ease the transition by working with your doctor and by closely monitoring and

Diabetes and Menopause
Women with type 1 diabetes may experience menopause earlier than average. Women with type 2 diabetes may go through menopause later than average if they are


diabetes and menopause
herbal menopause remedies
embracing menopause naturally kushi
herbal therapy menopause
about perimenopause