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

standard process for menopause
Menopause - Article
See also. Andropause (a similar process in men); Menopause the Musical For only $25 a year, a savings of 50% off our standard rate:

Standard Process Inc. - SP Catalog Search
The Standard Process product catalog is a comprehensive resource with products Lymphatic Function, Male Health, Menopause, Multiples, Muscular Function

Lists & Guides tagged with standard process
Lists and guides about standard process. Tag and discover new product diet energy hair headaches health healthcare infertilit y menopause migraines

Amazon.com: Products tagged with standard process
Standard Process - Drenamin 360 Tablets by Standard Process Standard Process - Spanish Black Radish 90 Tablets by Standard Process

Standard Process and Ness Nutritional Supplements
Improve your memory with Ness enzymes and Standard Process nutritional At the beginning of menopause, calcium is frequently prescribed to treat or

Menopause
Thatâ™s why products by Standard Process Labs produce excellent results. Their doctors are convincing them that once they reach menopause,

Cliff's Weekly Papers
menopause before age 45; 7) women with long-term use of Synthroid, . here is Standard Process Cal-Ma Plus, which in addition to having calcium citrate,

Standard Process Inc.
For 75 years Standard Process has been the leader in the field of natural, whole food supplements. . MENOPAUSE Primary Chlorophyll Complex For-Til B12

hypothalamus gland Vitamins & Nutrition - Health & Beauty Supplies
Shop for Vitamins & Nutrition from top brands like Standard Process, Planetary formulas and Good N Natural Progesterone Cream Menopause Formula - 4 oz.

Menopause: Hot flushes
I am 54 yrs old and have been going through the menopause for nearly 8 yrs. I also take supplements from Standard Process that are high-grade vitamins

Amazon.com: Standard Process - Drenamin 360 Tablets: Health
Buy this item with Standard Process - Catalyn 360 Tablets by Standard . I thought this symptom was part of menopause but then I discovered Drenamin.

Estroven: High-Quality All-Natural Menopause Supplements | Estroven
Expiration date testing is a standard process for Estroven. and menopausal symptoms than all other natural menopause supplement brands combined.

Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database
MediHerb Andrographis Complex by Standard Process, Inc. MediHerb Ashwaganda 1:2 by Standard .. Menoflavon Menopause Relief by Jamieson Laboratories Ltd.

MediHerb
Natural Solutions for Menopause Health Card Standard Process sells exclusively through Health Care Professionals © 2007 Standard Process Inc. All rights

Standard process supplements for stress management and promote
and Standard Process, and he uses his passion for health coupled with has been shown to significantly reduce menopause-related vasomotor symptoms,

Bone Loss and Bone Formation Flyer

David M. Barnes, Ph.D. | Research and Development, Standard Process Inc. 800-848-5061 | www.standardprocess. Menopause. â¢. Postmenopausal women have an

Super Nutrition for Menopause
A great follow up because Super Nutrition for Menopause deals with concerns While we carry Standard Process products, neither BecomeHealthyNow.com nor

Standard process supplements for stress management and promote
Furthermore, a woman's LDL-cholesterol level goes up after menopause. Natural Support for High Cholesterol. Standard Process:, Ortho Molecular:, Thorne:

Natural Solutions For Menopause
The goal of herbal and nutritional therapy for menopause is to assist with Located in Palmyra, Wisconsin, Standard Process grows many of the raw foods


standard process for menopause
menopause musical detroit
sleep disorder and menopause
menopause the musical ticketmaster
post menopause vaginal bleeding