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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American Journal of Hypertension : Effect of Age at Menopause on Blood pressure, age at menopause, and postmenopausal period were not significantly Key Words: Age; menopause; blood pressure; postmenopausal women Managing Menopause - HT and Heart Disease Q&As Menopause, the Jean Hailes Foundation answers your questions about the findings of Blood pressure increases with age and is classically provided as two ARTHRITIS PRE MENOPAUSE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, Learn about ARTHRITIS Learn about ARTHRITIS PRE MENOPAUSE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE at UnitedProject. Menopause Symptoms Report: Does Menopause affect blood pressure? There has been some debate about whether these changes in blood pressure are truly due to menopause or are a consequence of age and weight gain. Menopause Center - Doctors who treat menopause symptoms & provide Menopause Center - hormone replacement therapy - Physicians & Doctors who treat High blood pressure overworks the heart and may exist with no symptoms. Ask the Experts: Connection Between High Blood Pressure and I had my uterus taken out 13 years ago (still have my ovaries), and now have borderline high blood pressure; is there a connection between menopause and The influence of menopause on blood pressure The association between menopause and systolic and diastolic blood pressure was explored in a random sample of 278 pre- and 184 post-menopausal women. Menopause About two years before menopause, as estrogen levels begin to decline, the levels of Mixed Effects on Blood Pressure. The effects of estrogen on blood High Blood Pressure After Menopause - The Effect of Hormones With the onset of menopause, women are exposed to a unique set of risks and concerns that place them at greatly increased risk for developing high blood Cardiovascular & Circulatory System Health - Promote Normal Blood Natural Remedies to Maintain Normal Blood Pressure. Womenâ™s Health. Menopause, Sexual Health, Urinary Tract⦠Seniorsâ™ Health can menopause cause blood pressure to rise - Menopause can menopause cause blood pressure to rise - posted in Reproductive health - Menopause. A menopause community addressing menopause symptoms, menopause The top medical experts answer your questions about menopause . High blood pressure (or hypertension) in adults is defined as blood pressure that MENOPAUSE Information: Heart Disease High Blood Pressure: High blood pressure is often one of the first indicators of Natural menopause appears to have less of an impact on your heart; MENOPAUSE & Blood Pressure Are you in menopause? Is a friend or family members nearing or in menopause? Menopause is a time when the risk for high blood pressure increases. Blood Presssure, Menopause - Power Surge A menopause community addressing menopause symptoms, menopause treatments For years, doctors thought the top number in a blood pressure reading was the Menopause and high blood pressure: What's the connection Blood pressure increases after menopause and so does the risk of high blood pressure. Stress, Menopause Can Raise Blood Pressure Do stress and menopause have anything to do with high blood pressure? What is blood pressure? Hypertension & Women. Does menopause affect blood pressure? Do oral contraceptives raise blood pressure? High blood pressure and bone weakening. A Special Message for Women You may have had normal blood pressure most of your life, but after menopause your chance of getting high blood pressure increases considerably. |
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