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: Definition and Much More from Answers.com Many women have irregular periods and other problems of perimenopause for years. .. Symptoms of perimenopause, the menopause transition time Perimenopause Definition Perimenopause Definition. Perimenopause can last over six years (four years is average) and usually ends after twelve months of amenorrhea. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Menopause Perimenopause; Postmenopause. Definition Return to top . Weismiller D. The Perimenopause and Menopause Experience: An Overview. Clin Fam Practice. Contraception Online Slides - perimenopause, contraception STRAW: Definition of Perimenopause Perimenopause is characterized by waning ovarian function and symptoms of estrogen/progesterone deficiency, Could I be in Perimenopause? - CeMCOR Dudley EC, Hopper JL, Taffe J, Guthrie JR, Burger HG, Dennerstein L 1998 Using longitudinal data to define the perimenopause by menstrual cycle Vitamins for Perimenopause - Define Perimenopause - Mitamins Information related to Define Perimenopause and nutritional formulas to support Perimenopause. Quality custom made vitamin and supplement formulas that can Second Opinion . Key Point 1 | PBS Perimenopause: Some define perimenopause as the transitional time before menstruation stops. Others extend the definition past your final menstrual period What is perimenopause? Find the definition for perimenopause at WebMD The 3- to 5-year period prior to menopause during which estrogen levels begin to drop. Can follicle-stimulating hormone be used to define menopausal status Can follicle-stimulating hormone be used to define menopausal status SUBJECTS: Follicle Stimulating Hormone; Menopause; Perimenopause; Premenopause; Perimenopause: The Complex Endocrinology of the Menopausal B. Vasomotor symptoms (VMS) in the perimenopause Most Western physicians and women define menopause as beginning when VMS occur for the first time. Perimenopause Recently several articles in conventional medical publications have shown that progesterone deficiency and estrogen excess define perimenopause. Menopause Forever - New York Times Still other doctors and researchers define perimenopause as an opportunity by drug companies, book publishers and herbal supplement makers to exploit the Perimenopause symptoms and understanding signs of hormonal change Symptoms and signs of perimenopause including help in understanding and coping Prolonged emotional and physical stress, which I define as anything that Defining the Perimenopause for Application in Epidemiologic To evaluate whether increased cycle. length alone can define the inception of. perimenopause, we compared women who. had not menstruated for 3-9 months perimenopause - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary Definition of perimenopause from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary with audio pronunciations, thesaurus, Word of the Day, and word games. Perimenopause naturally: an integrative medicine approach On average, the onset of perimenopause occurs around age 47, with the average Perimenopause is a time of instability and unpredictability. estrogen and perimenopause - definition of perimenopause in the Medical Definition of perimenopause in the Medical Dictionary. perimenopause explanation. Information about perimenopause in Free online English dictionary. Perimenopause A description of perimenopause in the glossary of the About's Gynecologic Definition: Perimenopause is the period in a woman's life before natural Perimenopause definition - Menopause: Menopausal Health and Definition of Perimenopause. Perimenopause: The menopause transition. Other changes associated with the perimenopause and menopause include night sweats |
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