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 - Signs and Symptoms - womenshealthchannel Many women experience irregular periods due to the changing hormone levels and the As many as 85% of women experience hot flashes during menopause. Menopause Many women do not notice a change in their sexuality during menopause. You may find that the freedom from birth control and menstrual periods increases your WebHealthCentre.com - Women's Health Menopause Á“ Life During and After. Today, womenÁ™s health and longevity Others get their periods at frequent intervals with scanty or prolonged flow. Bleeding After Menopause Article Bleeding after menopause is common for those that are undergoing the time associated with the permanent discontinuation of the menstruation cycle. Perimenopause - CNN.com These cancer therapies can cause signs and symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes and cessation of periods, during the course of treatment. Cancer of the Uterus: Cancers of the Female Reproductive System early menarche (the start of menstrual periods), menopause after age 52, or both Thus, having more menstrual periods during a lifetime may increase the Womens HealthCare Forum: Menopause Menopause is a normal change in a womanÁ™s life when her period stops. It is often called the Áœchange of life.Á« During menopause, which usually occurs Perimenopause (premenopause) Perimenopause is the phase before menopause actually takes place, when ovarian Can I get pregnant during perimenopause? What is a phantom period? Dark brownish period during menopause >> Medical Questions, Weight I am 46 years old and am in the middle of menopause. I miss months without having periods, however, the last two were very painful. Menopause - Frequently asked questions The formal definition of menopause is the last menstrual period. However, during the years building up to menopause, many women's cycles will be irregular, Vaginal bleeding - WrongDiagnosis.com Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding abnormal vaginal bleeding, vaginal bleeding between periods, vaginal bleeding after menopause, vaginal bleeding longer Perimenopause symptoms and understanding signs of hormonal change In integrative medical circles, there has long been recognition that a transitional period of time exists before menopause, which is different for each Menopause Bleeding, After Menopause Spotting Explained What about menopause bleeding, after menopause spotting, post menopause bleeding can mean, menopause defined, natural HRT, what causes spotting during The menopause Many women experience symptoms of the menopause and irregular periods for .. What you can do before, during and after a night out to ease symptoms. Is This Perimenopause? Menopause officially occurs when you have not had a period for one year. You can experience either heavy or light bleeding during your periods. Uterine Cancer This means that a woman's uterine lining has a period of "rest" during pregnancy Of woman with new onset vaginal bleeding after menopause, 30% will have UpToDate Patient information: Abnormal uterine bleeding Although anovulation is most common when periods first begin and during perimenopause, Causes of abnormal bleeding during menopause include: MENOPAUSE: Common Problems and Their Remedies During this time, women whose periods do stop abruptly are apt to get a pregnancy . After menopause, many women report what anthropologist Margaret Mead Perimenopausal and menopausal bleeding What happens to periods during menopause? Although some women may abruptly stop having menstrual periods, many women will notice that their periods space |
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