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

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NaturePause - The Natural Hormone Solution for Men and Women

When most people hear the words "menopause" or "andropause", they immediately think, "middle-age" and "misery". After all, most people experience the onset of the end of their reproductive cycle during middle-age -- and this is usually accompanied by emotionally and physically draining symptoms such as hot flashes, low libido, and mood swings.

However, the facts are changing, and they're changing with the times.

People are now experiencing these symptoms, along with constant fatigue and depression, much earlier in life. Some studies suggest that perimenopause can begin as early as twenty-five in some women. Men in their twenties and thirties regularly experience the symptoms of low libido and erectile dysfunction. Both men and women battle fatigue and depression -- often with drugs and dangerous habits.

What is causing this rapid onset of the symptoms of menopause or andropause? Is this 'really' what people are experiencing, or it is something altogether different that is "masking" itself as menopause or andropause? What can someone in their early mid-life do about these stressful symptoms? And, what about those who are actually experiencing the onset of the end of reproduction? Are drugs the only alternative? Are they actually safe?

The questions and much more are addressed spectacularly in NaturaPause: The Natural Hormone Solution For Men And Women. Created by Naturopathic physician Dr. Holly Lucille and "Fit Over 40" author Jon Benson, NaturaPause uncovers what Dr. Lucille calls "the root causes" behind the symptoms associate with perimenopause, menopause, andropause, rapid weight gain, functional erectile dysfunction and constant fatigue. Rather than addressing the "symptoms", Dr. Lucille and Benson address the "cause", as they enlighten both men and women in methods that can restore hormonal function.

NaturaPause is not a supplement or a drug, but a "how-to" instruction kit comprised of a six audio CDs, a 137-page book and a 28-page workbook.

"Most physicians try to replace hormones. That's a poor strategy," says Dr. Lucille in Audio 1. "Exactly what 'hole' did they fall out of?" From almost a decade of clinical practice, Dr. Lucille has found solid, natural methods for encouraging bodies to do what they were designed to do: heal themselves, from the inside-out. This healing process can not only take care of the problem, but also the nasty symptoms -- and, unlike drugs (HRT is the common term for hormone therapy via drugs), leave the individual much healthier and more fit than when they began.

"Drugs have their place in hormone help, but they should not be the first choice. The body must be given the chance to heal the root cause of most of the symptoms...and that's something rarely discussed in traditional medicine," says Dr. Lucille. "For those on HRT, it is even more crucial to address the core issues, otherwise long-term health can definitely be affected."

NaturaPause audios include: "Hormones 101: What You Really Need To Know", "Menopause: Reasons And Remedies For Regaining Your Life," "Andropause: What Men Need To Know To Restore Vigor", "Exercise and Nutrition: Secret Weapons In The Battle For Youth", "Restoring Sex Drive: The Psychology and Physiology of Renewing Your Love Life", and "Putting It All Together: Dr. Lucille's 1-2-3 NaturaPause Plan." Each audio is impressively thorough and conducted in a conversational style between Mr. Benson and Dr. Lucille. Both give their take on the subject; Benson from personal experience of early andropause at 27, and Dr. Lucille from a clinical perspective.

So, what is addressed in the NaturaPause Solution Kit? A small sampling includes...

• Exactly why traditional medicine flat-out fails to wipe out the hellish symptoms of menopause, male menopause, perimenopause, weight gain, and constant fatigue;
  
  
• What the natural health industry is missing, and why people are not seeing the rapid results they are looking for by trying what they hear on T.V. or read in a magazine;
  
  
• The real, absolute, without-a-doubt cause of nearly all these symptoms?and how to get rid of them, make people feel better, and radically boost mental, emotional, and physical health at the same time;
  
  
• Why 95% of doctors never treat this hormonally-based cause;
  
  
• A top-to-bottom, ?treat the cause? Solution that is based in fact and medicine that's been successful for thousands of years;
  
  
• And more than can be covered in this short review.

Dr. Lucille's book rounds out the package nicely, covering all you need to know about restoring and maintaining hormonal balance in what she calls, "An ever-increasing toxic environment." Dr. Lucille demonstrates how everyday household items are contributing to the increase of estrogen in both males and females. The result: children are reaching puberty 2.3 years sooner than fifty years ago, and both sexes are experiencing the onset of menopausal symptoms earlier and, often, in increased severity.

NaturaPause is the best product I have ever seen for addressing relief and restoration when it comes to this natural phase of life. Combine that with the solid, down-to-earth nutrition and fitness information, how-tos on sexual healing, and a complete "what works" natural supplement guide, and you have a product that everyone over 30 desperately needs in order to live at their peak for decades to come.

For more information, visit the NaturaPause website.