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

hysterectomy after menopause
But this may be the way her acne whiteheads itself before it comes
(January 3rd, 2008); Endometriosis after menopause norplant hysterectomy nursing hysterectomy nursing research hysterectomy nutritional post (January 2nd,

Hysterectomy-What to Expect After - Menopause
This article explains what to expect during the surgery and afterwards. - Hysterectomy-What to Expect After - Menopause is a personally written site at

Hysterectomy Support Discussions, Before Hysterectomy, After
Before hysterectomy. After hysterectomy. Dealing with ongoing pain. Bleeding. Whether you are concerned about managing menopause with or without hormone

From Dr. JoAnn Manson: Life After a Hysterectomy?
"What types of changes can I expect now that I've had a hysterectomy?" Many women also gain weight after menopause, but this isn't inevitable.

Bleeding after a hysterectomy, during perimenopause, or after
Bleeding after a hysterectomy, during perimenopause, or after menopause vaginal bleeding should not occur after you have had a hysterectomy.

Hysterectomy, menopause, cardiovascular effects, heart attack
Menopause and Hysterectomy. Women who have hysterectomies after menopause have a four-times greater heart attack rate than those who keep their uteruses New

Bleeding after a hysterectomy, during perimenopause, or after
Bleeding after a hysterectomy, during perimenopause, or after menopause. Date updated: January 16, 2007 Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC

After Hysterectomy After HRT : Menopause Matters
Duration of HRT after hysterectomy. If HRT is commenced because of an early menopause after surgery, it can be continued until the age of 50 years without

Hysterectomy -- After the operation
Most employers allow up to three months sick leave after hysterectomy. you will have an artificial menopause if you have not already reached that time

Hysterectomy
Many women are not told that they can expect to have an earlier menopause after a hysterectomy, even if their ovaries are not removed.

Sexuality female hormones pregnancy menopause after hysterectomy
Information about female sexuality and the influence of hormones on sexuality during pregnancy, menopause, hysterectomy, and other times.

Women's Health - Articles
Hysterectomy Questions: What about pain after a hysterectomy? Is your partner still interested in you sexually after menopause.

Hysterectomy
One in three women in the United States has had a hysterectomy by age 60. Also, the fibroids often shrink after menopause. But fibroids can cause heavy

Hysterectomy - A Gynecologist's Second Opinion
And, after hysterectomy, many of the women reported a marked improvement in the . Significantly, the ovaries produce hormones long after menopause.

UpToDate Patient information: Abdominal hysterectomy
Women who have completed menopause generally do not require ERT after hysterectomy. (See "Patient information: Postmenopausal hormone therapy").

Answers to FAQs and Articles about Hysterectomy and the Surgery - G01
Can menopause happen during hysterectomy? Weight gain after hysterectomy .. Ovaries can sometimes form cysts after menopause and Pap smears can become

Is the Uterus Necessary After Childbearing is Completed? - G01
After hysterectomy those uterine contractions with orgasm disappear For example it is well known that menopause itself reduces sexual desire and sexual

Diagnosing Menopause After A Hysterectomy - Menopause: Menopausal
After menopause, as the ovary shrinks and estrogen levels fall, the blood level of FSH rises gradually in response to the falling estrogen levels.

Menopause after removal of the ovaries
I am going to have a "radical" hysterectomy. I know that then my body will go into menopause. What do I need to know, and look out for, what will it be like


hysterectomy after menopause
fact just maam menopause
hormone replacement therapy menopause
irregular bleeding during menopause
desire menopause sexual