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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Managing Menopause - Phytoestrogens Menopause, compounds that occur naturally in plants (phyto) and may be beneficial in our diet, so why not consider phytoestrogens? Phytoestrogens : by Ray Sahelian, M.D., phytoestrogens menopause phytoestrogens soy phytoestrogens isoflavone menopause phytoestrogen. Zoe Foods: Research: Menopause Recent studies on the effects of phytoestrogens on menopause show:. In postmenopausal women who took 60 grams of isolated soy protein powder daily, BBC - Health - Ask the doctor - Menopause and phytoestrogens Are phytoestrogens a useful natural alternative to HRT? Phytoestrogens For Menopause | Nutrition Action Healthletter Phytoestrogens For Menopause from Nutrition Action Healthletter in Health provided free by Find Articles. Phytoestrogens - Can Plant Hormones Help Women In Menopause? Menopause is a time of enormous change. Wise women of all times have found simple life-style changes can make their Change much easier. Phytoestrogens and menopause -- Husband and de Lemos 324 (7328 Published evidence supports a role for phytoestrogens in menopause Pharmacological attributes of plant based drugs should be discussed widely Phytoestrogens and menopause Phytoestrogens and menopause. Published evidence supports a role for phytoestrogens in menopause. Alan J Husband, research director Phytoestrogens & Menopause Phytoestrogens and Menopause. Just another con? If you've read anything about soy phytoestrogens it's most likely that you've read that they help women Phytoestrogens for Menopause The active ingredients in most dietary supplements for menopause are phytoestrogens Á” chemicals found in plants that may act like the estrogen produced Phytoestrogen therapy for menopausal symptoms? -- Davis 323 (7309 A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Crossover Trial With Phytoestrogens in Treatment of Menopause in Breast Cancer Patients Obstet. Gynecol., June 1, 2003; |
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