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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ABC News: Combat Hot Flashes During Menopause Combat Hot Flashes During Menopause. A woman has reached menopause when she has not had a period for 12 months in a row. During that time, her body Menopause: Beyond Hot Flashes - TIME Menopause: Beyond Hot Flashes. Monday, Nov. 07, 2005 By CHRISTINE GORMAN Several (but not all) studies show significant improvements in memory and WebMD Menopause Center - Find menopause information including Find in-depth menopause information including hot flashes, night sweats, hormones, WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Hot flashes and menopause - WebMD The cause of hot flashes is not known, but may be related to changes in circulation. Some women have hot flashes for a very short time during menopause. All About Hot Flashes If you have gone through a surgical or medical menopause, Chinese herbs are usually not considered strong enough to eliminate your menopausal hot flashes, Best Hot Flashes Menopause Product Hot flashes, night sweats, and other chronic symptoms of menopause can drain . Use Hot Flash Freedomâ„¢ and get "Back to Normal" It's Not Just a Promise . Menopause and Peri Menopause Symptoms:hot flashes, night sweats Menopause is when you have not had a period (or even light spotting) for 12 Hot flashes, flushes, night sweats and/or cold flashes, clammy feeling Hot flashes, Night Sweats: What Can I Do About Hot Flashes and Ways of coping with hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause can be found They are associated with but not necessarily caused by fluctuating levels Hot Flashes Menopause A simple look at hot flashes and night sweats in menopause. which is not for everyone, here are some suggestions for coping with hot flashes: No More Hot Flashes 10 Ways to Relieve Menopausal Hot Flashes Menopause and the dreaded hot flashes--it's almost impossible to think of one without the other. Hot flashes are probably the first symptom we think of when Hot Flashes and Hot Flash Symptoms and Treatment on MedicineNet.com Hot flashes are experienced by many women, but not all women undergoing menopause experience hot flashes. A hot flash is a feeling of warmth that spreads Hot flashes: Minimize discomfort during menopause - CNN.com More than half of all women experience hot flashes during menopause. Smoking is linked to increased hot flashes. By not smoking, you may reduce hot Hot Flashes (Menopause-like Symptoms, Flushing) Hot Flashes (Menopause-like Symptoms, Flushing) Julie Schwenka, PharmD, UCSF. Hot Flashes Introduction Medications Table Medication Side Effects Table Symptoms of Menopause - RealAge Menopause Center Symptoms of Menopause, Hot Flashes - Evaluate your symptoms of menopause and find This information is not to be taken as medical or other health advice Symptoms of Menopause: Hot Flashes Itâ™s not unusual to feel completely exhausted, as though all your energy has There are some easy ways to stay ahead of hot flashes during menopause. Hot flashes: Minimize discomfort during menopause - MayoClinic.com Smoking is linked to increased hot flashes. By not smoking, you may reduce . Menopause is a natural transition. If hot flashes don't interfere with your Hot Flash, Hot Flashes - Menopause and What's a Hot Flash? Considered by many to be the hallmark of menopause, hot flashes are the most Our incomplete understanding of hot flashes is reflected not only by the Hot Flashes - Causes Other Than Menopause - H01 We know that women have hot flashes in the decade before menopause. They certainly are not as frequent as during the menopause but we cannot predict them Non hormonal treatment of menopause hot flashes, flushes, night Many women believe hot flashes are only associated with low estrogens of the menopause or perimenopause, but that is not true. They can periodically occur |
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