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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Hot flashes: Minimize discomfort during menopause - CNN.com Nighttime hot flashes â” or night sweats â” can wake you from a sound sleep. During menopause, some women experience hot flashes for a year or more. Treatment of Vasomotor Symptoms of Menopause with Black Cohosh Women completed the Wiklund Menopause Symptom Scale, rating the severity of 13 menopausal symptoms (sweats, hot flashes, sleep disturbance, fatigue, Natural relief from symptoms of menopause - hot flushes and night Natural relief from symptoms of menopause - hot flushes and night sweats. Health 24 - Woman, Common conditions Experiencing hot flushes (also called flashes) is the feature that has made the menopause famous by being the most common symptom of menopause. What are hot flushes. Influence of isoflavones on hot flushes. women with hot flushes Hot flushes, the most frequent menopause symptom, are sudden or mild waves of heat on the upper part of the body that last from 30 Menopause Hot flushes - the most common symptom of the menopause. Hot flushes are sudden intense waves of heat, sometimes accompanied by redness and sweating. Hot Flushes Hot Flushes. Hot Flushes: Much-Needed Relief From Hot Flushes. I'm constantly being asked for advice on how to alleviate hot flushes caused by the menopause Menopause - Women's Health Queensland Wide Hot flushes and night sweats are thought to be caused by hormonal changes occurring at menopause. Menstrual irregularities â“ Many peri-menopause women find BMJ BestTreatments :: Conditions :: Menopause :: Hot flushes Hot flushes usually start during the perimenopause (the time leading up to the menopause) and they often continue for several years. Hot Flashes Menopause A simple look at hot flashes and night sweats in menopause. Find out what to expect during menopausal hot flashes and night sweats, and learn how to reduce hot flushes lifestyle, diet cancer Smoking & hot flushes:. Smokers suffer worse hot flushes around and after the menopause. Smokers are at higher risk of osteoporosis The Menopause, Naturally - Symptoms Hot flushes and night sweats are the most common symptoms of the menopause. They usually occur over a period of a few months, but for some women they can go Menopause - Hormones & hot flushes About 20% of Australian women, she says, will go through menopause without any symptoms at all. Another 60% will have some symptoms â” occasional hot flushes Menopause Symptoms and Hot Flushes - Safe, Effective, and Natural Hot Flushes, night sweats and menopause symptoms - effective relief using a safe and natural alternative to HRT. 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 common menopausal symptom in Western societies. Hot flashes: Minimize discomfort during menopause - MayoClinic.com Hot flashes â” Discover remedies for hot flashes, an uncomfortable symptom of menopause. The menopause The transition into the menopause is usually gradual and is accompanied by a range of symptoms. Hot flushes and sweating The most common symptoms by far are Hot Flushes - Patient UK Menopause. Clinical Knowledge Summaries (Clinical Knowledge Summaries) 2007; Stearns V, Ullmer L, Lopez JF, et al; Hot flushes. Lancet. Menopause - Alternatives to HRT - Patient UK The menopause can cause various symptoms such as hot flushes, and changes to the vaginal area. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) eases symptoms. |
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