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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Menopause and Heart Disease But when a woman experiences menopause, her levels of estrogen decrease significantly, and as a result, her risk for heart disease increases. What You Need To Know About Post Menopause Heart Disease As women age and are post menopause heart disease risks increase. Cardiologists recommend that women of this age, especially if they haven't done so before, MENOPAUSE ONLINE - HEART DISEASE THE HEART DISEASE GUIDE. Our Menopause Update will keep you informed about any new developments in the following on-going studies: HBP/Meds/Women/Menopause - Heart Disease - MedHelp MedHelp's Ask-a-Doctor Heart Disease Forum. This forum is for questions and support regarding Heart Disease. Questions will be answered by a medical expert Menopause Can Bring Increased Risk Of Heart Disease Menopause Can Bring Increased Risk Of Heart Disease. BMJ BestTreatments :: Conditions :: Menopause :: Heart disease and Before the menopause, women have a lower risk of heart disease and strokes than men of the same age. Women tend to get heart disease and strokes about 10 Heart disease, Menopause - Menopause: Menopausal Health and While there is no established evidence that menopause in a woman with known heart disease can worsen her heart disease, because of the above changes in many Managing Menopause - Heart Disease Menopause, cardiovascular disease is a disease of either the heart or major blood vessels (arteries) supplying the heart, brain or other parts of the body. Menopause and Heart Disease Often, heart disease is considered to be a health risk mainly in men. Prior to menopause, women do enjoy a lower risk than men of heart disease and stroke, Doctorsforadults.com: Heart Disease Millions of women heading for menopause are also heading for heart disease - and many of them have it and don't know it. By the age of 50, most women are Menopause heart disease and heart problem during menopause. A woman's risk of developing heart disease rises considerably when she reaches menopause. We now know that synthetic hormone replacement therapy (HRT) does Menopause and Heart Disease - WebMD Menopause, diabetes and age can all be factors in Heart Disease in women. Menopause and coronary heart disease - WebMD Quiz to assess your risk factors for heart disease. Heart Disease and Menopause Advice on learning about risk factors and prevention of heart disease. Menopause and the Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke Before menopause, women have less risk of heart disease than men do. But as women age, their heart disease and stroke risk begins to rise and keeps rising, Menopause and Heart Stroke Compared to men, many women before the age of menopause seem to be partly protected from coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke. MENOPAUSE Information: Heart Disease A look at heart disease and women. Outlines the different types of heart disease, treatment options as well as preventative measures women can take to Cardiovascular Disease and Menopause Find out why menopause may increase your risk for high blood pressure, angina, stroke, Heart disease is the number one killer of American women and is |
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