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 |
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Gabapentin is as effective as estrogen for menopause symptoms University of Rochester researchers, who have been investigating new therapies for hot flashes for several years, report in the July Obstetrics and Estrogen and Menopause All women go through menopause. There is no escape for anyone. Once menopause arrives the body's internal production of estrogen and progesterone stops Womens HealthCare Forum: Menopause So losing estrogen around the time of menopause causes women to begin to lose Thatâ™s why women continue to have low levels of estrogen after menopause. Estrogen and Menopause, December 21, 2004 Press Release - National A better understanding of the role of changing responses to reproductive hormones including estrogen in causing menopause-related symptoms is needed to Breaking News: Estrogen, Menopause and Thyroid Richard and Karilee Shames talk about the menopause connection to thyroid disease, from Mary Shomon, Thyroid Guide, patient advocate and author of a number Menopause Myth of Low Estrogen Disease - Menopause It´s time to separate folklore from fact and dispute the Menopause Myth of Low Estrogen Disease and realize menopause is a normal part of growth and Frequently asked questions on menopause After menopause, low estrogen levels result in a thinning of the uterine lining, which, in turn, stops the monthly period. Taking estrogen after menopause Estrogen After Menopause Improves Eye Health Hot Flashes Not the Only Reason to Take Hormone Replacement Therapy. Menopause Online Estriol is also a weak estrogen and may have anti-cancer effects. Before menopause estradiol is the predominant estrogen. After menopause estradiol levels Dwindling estrogen in menopause could make women fat: study Lower estrogen levels in the brain, a drop that occurs during menopause, could lead to weight gain in older women, new research suggests. Estrogen â“ Menopause Management Editorials Estrogen - The North American Menopause Society, devoted to promoting women's health through understanding of menopause and estrogen loss. Estrogen Deficiency Can Lead To Obesity-induced High Blood 22, 1999) â” Because of its effects in reducing health risks such as heart disease, many women start taking estrogen supplements when they reach menopause. Estrogen and Menopause The study showed that there were half as many cardiovascular deaths and heart attacks among women who took estrogen after menopause as there were among Estrogen Metabolism, Menopause, and Health Outcomes, Maryfran R Estrogen Metabolism, Menopause, and Health Outcomes. Investigators: Maryfran R. Sowers, Daniel S. McConnell, Trivellore Raghunathan, John F. Randolph Jr The Menopause Clinics of America Menopause Hormone therapy Estrogen Therapeutic use Progesterone Middle aged The Three Estrogens NHRT - The Estrogen Compounds Estrogen and Menopause Estrogen After Menopause Cuts Heart Attack Risk, Study Finds - New A large-scale, 10-year study of nurses indicates that women who take the female hormone estrogen after menopause can cut their risk of heart disease almost Estrogen Reduces Risk of Stroke After Menopause - New York Times LEAD: WOMEN taking estrogen after menopause were half as likely to die from a stroke as women who had not taken the female hormone, according to a new study Menopause, Estrogen, hormones, hormone replacement therapy, HRT Menopause. Estrogen. Estrogen is a hormone manufactured by a woman's body. Estrogen is essential for normal female sexual development and for the healthy Influence of estrogen on menopause Estrogens are the most affecting hormones in a woman's cycle. Loss of estrogen causes most of the menopause symptoms such as hot flashes. |
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