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

perimenopause symptoms treatment
34 Menopause Symptoms Treatment with Herbal MacaActive
Read important information about the 34 menopause symptoms. Learn about the causes and possible treatments with herbal MacaActive for the 34 menopause

Menopause - Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention
Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention of Menopause. Symptoms of Menopause. During perimenopause, estrogen production is low and the ovaries stop producing

MedlinePlus: Menopause
Pros and Cons for Treatment of Menopause Symptoms(Hormone Foundation) Perimenopause(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

Hypothyroidism in menopause, thyroid hormone imbalance, and
hypothyroid symptoms, and natural hypothyroidism treatment options. problems with your thyroid gland are so likely in menopause and perimenopause.

Ending confusion about menopause, including menopausal symptoms
Menopause and ending confusion about menopausal symptoms, treatment and a natural Click here to learn more about perimenopause and menopause symptoms.

Menopause and Perimenopause - Yahoo! Health
Perimenopause symptoms, such as insomnia, hot flashes, or mood swings, that aren't responding to home treatment and are interfering with your sleep or daily

Menopause - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment for the Hormonal
Consumer health resource center providing a, thorough overview, symptoms, causes, treatments, exams, tests, and additional links.

Menopause Symptoms Perimenopause Hormone Replacement Therapy
Offering treatment for menopause symptoms such as perimenopause hormone replacement therapy and other resources.

Peri Menopause Symptoms Perimenopause
Information about Perimenopause Symptoms and Treatment Options. MenopauseRx understands that no two women experience the same perimenopause and menopause

Hot Flashes and Hot Flash Symptoms and Treatment on MedicineNet.com
Some of the symptoms of menopause can actually begin years before menstrual periods stop occurring. Doctors generally use the term "perimenopause" to refer

Menopause symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment on MedicineNet.com
What are the treatment options for the symptoms of menopause? Perimenopause is different for each woman. Scientists are still trying to identify all the

Menopause Symptoms & Safe Menopause Solutions
Learn more about early signs of menopause symptoms, perimenopause and menopause symptoms with the womens health clinic personal treatment program.

Perimenopause - CNN.com
Oral contraceptives are often the most effective treatment to relieve perimenopausal symptoms â” even if you don't need them for birth control.

35 Perimenopause Pre - Peri Menopause Menopausal Symptoms-Signs
Perimenopause signs and symptoms - early menopause symptoms experienced in pre on Pre Menopause Treatment, Weight Gain, and 35 Perimenopause Symptoms.

New Treatment for Menopause Symptoms
Women seeking to quell the symptoms of menopause and build stronger bones may soon have a new treatment option -- possibly with fewer concerns and risks

Menopause - Perimenopause - Surgical Menopause
Learn what menopause is, the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, and the treatments for menopause from Menopause Symptoms, Treatment, and Support

34 menopause symptoms and signs to help you decide which treatment
Some women resort to hormone replacement therapy to diminish these menopause symptoms but hormone replacement therapy creates a whole new set of symptoms,

Menopause and Perimenopause-Treatment Overview
If you have insomnia, mood swings, hot flashes, cloudy thinking, heavy menstrual periods, or other menopause symptoms, treatment can help you manage this

Perimenopause Symptoms - Pycnogenol and Black Cohosh Information
Find out the difference between menopause symptoms and perimenopause symptoms. Black cohosh is a highly effective treatment for menopause.8 Modern


perimenopause symptoms treatment
menopause the musical atlanta
night sweats menopause
periods during menopause
symtoms of menopause