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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MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Menopause The symptoms of menopause are caused by changes in estrogen and progesterone levels. As the ovaries become less functional, they produce less of these Menopause: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment In addition to a decrease in estrogen levels, menopause results in decreased progesterone levels, meaning that any eggs that are released are less likely to Menopause During menopause, it is believed that when estrogen levels drop, this decreases the amount of serotonin available to the brain. This drop in estrogen levels Estrogens Estrone may be measured in women who have gone through menopause to determine their estrogen levels. It also may be measured in men or women who might have Menopause Estrone, a weaker estrogen and estrone sulfate, its metabolite, fall at and after menopause and Menopause doesnâ™t change the circulating level of DHEAS. Menopause, HRT and other Myths At menopause there is an adjustment in estrogen levels reducing the output by the ovaries by about 40-60 percent. Just low enough so that the menopausal Association of Reproductive Health Professionals The reduction of endogenous estrogen at menopause leads to a constellation of symptoms directly related to lower estrogen levels or to estrogen withdrawal Womens HealthCare Forum: Menopause Thatâ™s why women continue to have low levels of estrogen after menopause. . The drop in estrogen levels during perimenopause and menopause can lead to Menopause - CNN.com Under certain circumstances, your doctor may check your level of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estrogen (estradiol) with a blood test. As menopause Perimenopause - CNN.com Perimenopause encompasses the years leading up to menopause â” anywhere from When estrogen levels diminish, your vaginal tissues may lose lubrication and Menopause Symptoms, Treatments and Stages of Menopause- BWH Whether these symptoms are a result of decreased estrogen levels, sleep deprivation, the many life changes that occur around menopause, or a combination of Answers to FAQs and Articles about Estrogen Replacement Therapy - H01 Also some studies imply a higher level of estradiol in lupus so this may mean after menopause you actually do require higher levels of estrogen to get the Answers to FAQs and Articles about Perimenopause and early Commonly now, during the perimenopause/?menopause period we will have women use very low dose contraceptives (1/20 level) as estrogen replacement if they Understand estrogen levels and estrogen dominance related to menopause Women want to understand how estrogen levels work and if estrogen dominance is a factor related to menopause. 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 eMedicine - Menopause : Article by Diana Curran, MD, FACOG Irregular ovarian function and considerable estrogen level fluctuationâ”not a deficiency of estrogenâ”cause climacteric symptoms during menopause; thus, Approaching Menopause During true menopause, estrogen and progesterone levels are low and fairly constant. However, during perimenopause, their levels may fluctuate in an Menopause In menopause, the estradiol levels typically are less than 32 pg/ml and often <10. When treating menopausal women with estrogen, a reasonable target would HORMONE Tests Because your FSH levels rise when your ovaries stop producing enough estrogen, high FSH levels can signal that your body is entering menopause. |
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