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 weight gain energy
Weight Loss & Control During Menopause
You tend to gain weight. This is NOT directly caused by menopause. This further widens the gap between the energy we take in and the energy we expend.

The Valley Hospital
Weight gain after menopause: Reverse the middle age spread The number of calories you need for energy decreases as you age because aging promotes the

Women's Health and Fitness During Menopause - Home
You may be experiencing signs of perimenopause or menopause, which undoubtedly include weight gain. Believe it or not, my friend, you can have energy,

weight gain effects of estrogen and hrt hormone medication in
Weight gain is one of the most common complaints of women in menopause and women Leeâ™s preferred remedy for menopause weight gain is topically applied

The Menopause Diet: Lose Weight and Boost Your Energy
The Menopause Diet shows you how to lose weight while increasing your energy level. Find out how to lose unwanted menopause weight gain with this fabulous

Menopause Weight Loss
Menopause weight loss is possible but it must be taken seriously. The biggest change a woman needs to make has to do with the resting energy expenditure,

Menopause or Thyroid? - What is causing my Weight Gain
As a result the cells need less energy and thus more energy is available to be The most effective approach to reversing weight gain after menopause

The Menopause Expert - Weight Gain No More: Exercise and Menopause
Today's article is about exercise and menopause so let's first talk about WHY it is The benefits I received of increased energy, decreased weight,

Perimenopause weight gain â” causes and solutions
Why does weight gain occur so universally for women during menopause? . From weight loss and hot flash relief to increased energy and improved thyroid

Health 24 - Menopause, About Menopause
Weight gain during, or after the menopause is a very real danger, but you can avoid gaining weight by decreasing your energy intake, cutting down on fat

Weight Gain During Menopause: Is It Inevitable? - MSN Health
"It will help you feel well and good about yourself, and to be strong, fit and have a lot of energy." Related links:. Menopause and Weight Gain: Reverse

Weight gain after menopause: Reverse the middle age spread - MSN
How can you minimize weight gain after menopause? The number of calories you need for energy decreases as you age because aging promotes the replacement

Weight Gain during Menopause - loving your big beautiful body
Women who gain weight during menopause have less severe hot flashes, Feel the energy in your belly. Feel the wise blood stirring within your belly.

Your Menopause Weight Gain Source: Health Thru Fitness, LLC
Learn the truth about menopause weight gain and discover how to start by the Panel on Energy, Obesity, and Body Weight Standards to figure out your Body

Learn The Truth about Menopause Weight Gain
Health Thru Fitness - The menopause weight gain paradox revealed . created by the Panel on Energy, Obesity, and Body Weight Standards to figure out your

Postgraduate Medicine: Weight gain during menopause
Weight gain during menopause: is it inevitable or can it be prevented? . Changes in energy balance and body composition at menopause: a controlled

Weight gain after menopause: Reverse the middle age spread - CNN.com
The number of calories you need for energy decreases as you age because aging The most effective approach to reversing weight gain after menopause

Study links menopause to weight gain
Study links menopause to weight gain from DailyIndia.com, critical regions and estrogen receptors associated with weight gain and energy expenditure,

Weight gain after menopause: Reverse the middle age spread
Weight gain after menopause â” Causes of weight gain and strategies to minimize The number of calories you need for energy decreases as you age because


menopause weight gain energy
menopause in ukrainian women
menopause the musical regal theatre
menopause play in boston
premature menopause signs