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

menopause natural treatment
Herbal treatment little help for menopause - Women's health- msnbc.com
A popular herbal treatment called black cohosh is practically ineffective at relieving hot flashes and night sweats in women going through menopause,

Herbal remedies for menopause - Natural treatment
Herbal remedies for menopause - Natural treatment for menopause using Menoeze, with Standardised black Cohosh, Sya and Red Clover, plus Dong Quai,

Natural Menopause Remedies and Menopause Natural Remedies
Natural menopause remedies & menopause natural remedies explained plus natural remedies to relieve vaginal atrophy in menopause, why use a natural remedy

Menopause, Hormone Replacement Therapy, Home, Natural alternatives
A comprehensive treatment of menopause, osteoporosis, Hormone Replacement therapies, treatments, conventional treatment, holistic treatments, natural

Alternative and Natural Approaches to the treatment of Menopause
A comprehensive treatment of menopause, hot flashes, osteoporosis, Hormone Replacement therapies, life style issues, description, treatments from modern

Menopause Alternative medicine
Natural Remedies for Menopause About Conventional Treatment for Menopause Symptoms Dr. Whitaker M.D. Hormone Balancing A Delicate Balancing Act

Herbal Remedy for Menopause Relief - Natural Remedies for Hot Flashes
Proven herbal remedy for menopause relief and natural remedies for hot flashes.

MellowPause Herbal Menopause Product - Natural Herbs for Menopause
Complete menopause program with MellowPause herbal menopause product; natural herbs for menopause.

Prevedia Natural Menopause Treatment - Fast Relief from Menopause
Prevedia natural menopause treatment provides fast relief from menopause symptoms. Prevedia is a menopause herb supplement containing Tribulus terrestris

Menopause Natural Remedy
Find the best Menopause Natural Remedy and even Natural Menopause Treatment from Premugest here.

Menopause and Menopause Treatment
Most women do not need any special treatment for menopause. . Later on, they might reach natural menopause a year or two earlier than expected.

Menopause Symptoms: Natural Menopause Treatment
A look at some of the most popular herbal treatments to help relieve menopausal symptoms.

Natural Remedies
Natural Ways of Managing Early Menopause: Vitamins, Herbs and Other Nutrients that May . EarlyMenopause.com does NOT endorse any one form of treatment.

Natural Health Remedies - Alternative Health Supplements
Natural health remedies can offer an effective alternative treatment option effective anti aging natural supplements and a menopause natural remedy that

Menopause Symptoms Perimenopause Hormone Replacement Therapy
Information about treatment regimens for symptoms of menopause/perimenopause involving natural remedies.

Alternative Medicine PMS Shatavari Infertility Menopause Herbal Remedy
Ayurveda PMS Female hormone Infertility Menopause Herbal Remedy Herb supplement Shatavari dong quai tang kuei womens health.

Top 8 Alternative Treatments for Menopause
So why not treat it in a natural way? Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was long the standard treatment for menopause, however, since we now know that

Herbal treatment in the Menopause
The treatment of the symptoms of menopause by herbal medicine has a long history of usage and is often clinically the only intervention required.

Menopause Symptoms & Safe Menopause Solutions
Use Natural Progesterone for Menopause Symptoms Do you know WHY natural hormone imbalance's role, natural prevention/treatment of cervical cancer signs


menopause natural treatment
perimenopause birth control pill
pcos menopause
menopause natural symptom treatment
ovaries after menopause