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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Alexander Foundation for Womens Health Investigators have also suggested that memory problems during menopause may not To explore the subject of menopause and memory, our managing editor, Ask The Experts: Menopause and Memory by MedicineNet.com. Read the effect of memory while going through menopause by the experts at MedicineNet.com. Memory Problems at Menopause: Nothing to Forget About - URMC Press The work is the latest salvo in a years-long back and forth about memory, menopause, and estrogen. Doctors long thought that hormone-replacement therapy PR-GB.com News from origin - Ginkgo And Memory In Menopause PR-GB.com Read news directly from origin & Publish your PR for free Memory and Menopause I cannot help but wonder if memory loss is an unavoidable part of menopause. Is this an irreversible condition that we can more or less resign ourselves to Health & Medical News - No loss of memory in menopause: study - 23 Despite a widely held belief among women that they suffer from memory loss during menopause, a major new study of women in the U.S. has found no evidence Menopause Online Most authorities do not believe menopause i.e. low estrogen levels, causes memory problems. Of course if your not sleeping because of the hot flashes loss Menopause pauses memory, posing unforgettable problems Approaching Menopause? Losing your mind? Just pause and read this. A recent study reported in Boston at the Annual meeting of the International Memory - Menopause Menopause may have little to do with memory lapses. Nutrition, exercise and other factors can increase memory and reduce foggy thinking and bring about Menopause and Memory: Search for Links As menopause nears, some women blame their shifting hormones for memory problems. But it's not quite that simple, a new study shows. Study focuses on progression of menopause and memory loss This November 2003 womenâ™s health issue of HealthLINK looks at research regarding the ongoing debate as to whether there is a connection between menopause Menopause: Memory Loss A look at some of the common reasons behind memory loss during menopause. Offers helpful tips forwomen to help imrpove their memories. About Alzheimer's, Menopause and Memory Disorders Frequently asked questions on prevention, and treatment of Alzheimer's disease; Menopause related memory loss. ABCs of Estrogen Related Memory Loss However, menopause related memory and cognitive disturbances are being increasingly described in scientific literature and are generally responsive to Memory Problems At Menopause: Nothing To Forget About Women who feel that they become more forgetful as menopause approaches shouldn't just "fuhgetabout it": There may be something to their own widespread Removing Ovaries Before Menopause Can Lead To Memory And Movement Women who have their ovaries removed before menopause are at an increased risk of developing memory problems or dementia and movement disorders such as Menopause and your memory: what to expect, tips to increase memory Menopause and your memory: what to expect, tips to increase memory. Menopause and Memory Loss - Prevention.com Forgetfulness often surfaces during menopause, though experts differ about why. Some point to declining estrogen levels; others, to increased stress levels. Symptoms Of Menopause - Dr. Weil What accounts for the memory problems women develop at menopause? Are they hormonal symptoms of menopause or just a sign of aging? |
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