 |
|
Women's biological clock revealed: Hormone may predict age at menopause
April 29, 2008Age at menopause may now be predicted more realistically according to a new study accepted for publication in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM). The study revealed that anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels are related to the onset of menopause and are able to specify a woman's reproductive age more accurately than chronological age alone.
The levels of AMH in the blood reflect the number of small follicles present in a woman's ovaries. This follicle stock enables reproduction by ensuring monthly ovulations. Depletion of the stock leads to menopause, which normally occurs between 40 and 60 years of age.
"Couples often postpone childbearing until after age thirty, even though variation in menopausal age and corresponding variation in natural fertility means that some women are sterile as early as their thirties," say Dr. Jeroen van Disseldorp and Dr Frank Broekmans of the University Medical Center Utrecht in Utrecht, the Netherlands. "Knowing when menopause may occur could greatly impact childbearing decisions and our findings show that such knowledge may now be available from AMH levels."
For this study, AMH levels were measured in 144 healthy, fertile women and the data were used to determine an estimate of mean AMH as a function of age. This information was then used to estimate the distribution of the age of menopause in a sample of 3,384 women between the ages of 50 and 70. Researchers were then able to develop a model based on AMH level and age that could predict age at menopause for individual women.
Prediction for younger women may be more problematic since observed AMH levels were underrepresented at younger ages, and a recent study in mice show that mean AMH levels do not decline at young ages.
The Endocrine Society
For this study, AMH levels were measured in 144 healthy, fertile women and the data were used to determine an estimate of mean AMH as a function of age. This information was then used to estimate the distribution of the age of menopause in a sample of 3,384 women between the ages of 50 and 70. Researchers were then able to develop a model based on AMH level and age that could predict age at menopause for individual women.
Prediction for younger women may be more problematic since observed AMH levels were underrepresented at younger ages, and a recent study in mice show that mean AMH levels do not decline at young ages.
The Endocrine Society
Menopause Current Events and Menopause News RSSHerbal Menopause Therapy a Good Fit for Breast Cancer Patients?
When it comes to understanding the effectiveness and safety of using herbal therapies with other drugs, much is unknown. Now, a University of Missouri researcher will study how black cohosh - an herbal supplement often used to relieve hot flashes in menopausal women - interacts with tamoxifen, a common drug used to treat breast cancer.
Changes in sex steroids associated with menopause
A study in the Oct. 1 issue of the journal Sleep shows that the increased rate of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) change that occurs during menopause is associated with increased objective sleep duration but poor subjective sleep quality.
The dietary supplement genistein can undermine breast cancer treatment
Women taking aromatase inhibitors to treat breast cancer or prevent its recurrence should think twice before also taking a soy-based dietary supplement, researchers report.
Risk of fracture is significantly higher in HIV-infected patients
As antiviral treatment for HIV infection allows patients to live longer, many will be confronted with additional health challenges. A new study shows for the first time that one of these may be significantly increased risk of bone fractures.
Hormone replacement therapy improves sleep, sexuality and joint pain in older women
One of the world's longest and largest trials of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has found that post-menopausal women on HRT gain significant improvements in quality of life.
Major study shows significant quality-of-life benefits from HRT
A major international study of the effects of HRT use on quality of life has shown that HRT use can significantly improve well-being in women with menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats.
Estrogen relieves psychotic symptoms in women with schizophrenia
When combined with antipsychotic medications, the estrogen estradiol appears to be a useful treatment in women with schizophrenia, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Risk of gall bladder disease with HRT patches lower than with HRT pills
Use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) increases the risk of gallbladder disease but the effects are less with HRT given in skin patches or gels compared with HRT given orally, according to a study published on BMJ.com today.
Gender Differences And Heart Disease
Women may respond less favorably than men to cardiovascular disease (CV) drug-treatments for enlarged heart, according to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center physician-scientists.
Pregnancy may help protect against bladder cancer
Pregnancy seems to confer some protection against bladder cancer in mice, scientists have found.
More Menopause Current Events and Menopause News Articles
 | The Wisdom of Menopause: Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing During the Change, 2nd Edition by Christiane Northrup Through her bestselling books, groundbreaking PBS specials, and up-to-the-minute clinical knowledge, Dr. Christiane Northrup has earned a place as one of America’s most trusted medical advisors.In The Wisdom of Menopause, she once again challenges convention with this inspiring look at one of the most commonly misunderstood female health issues. The “change” is not simply a collection of... |
 | The Secret Pleasures of Menopause by Christiane Northrup The Secret Pleasures of Menopause is a groundbreaking book that is long overdue! Christiane Northrup, M.D., delivers a breakthrough message that will help millions and millions of perimenopausal and menopausal women just like you understand that at menopause . . . life has just begun! It is the beginning of a very exciting and fulfilling time, full of pleasure beyond your wildest... |
 | What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause (TM): The Breakthrough Book on Natural Hormone Balance by John R. Lee, Virginia Hopkins The classic bestseller that has helped nearly a million women discover the answer to menopause is now revised and updated. Hot flashes, night sweats, weight gain, low sex drive, hair loss, fibroids, and osteoporosis-most women will experience these or other hormone- related problems at some point as they age. In clear, easy-to-understand language, an internationally recognized expert explains the... |
 | Sex, Lies, and Menopause: The Shocking Truth About Synthetic Hormones and the Benefits of Natural Alternatives by T. S. Wiley, Julie Taguchi, Bent Formby Turning thirty years of medical and cultural wisdom on its head, Sex, Lies, and Menopause challenges both the medical establishment and modern feminists to prove that menopause does not have to be deadly. In this revolutionary work -- a landmark that signals the true beginning of feminist medicine -- a doctor, a philosopher, and a scientist prove that by postponing marriage and motherhood, women... |
 | The Only Menopause Guide You'll Need (A Johns Hopkins Press Health Book) by Michele C. Moore For women facing decisions about treatment for the symptoms of menopause, the second edition of this landmark work features a new chapter that addresses the latest findings about hormone replacement therapy. Dr. Michele Moore helps patients make informed treatment choices and offers a balanced account of options that range from traditional medical practice to holistic and alternative... |
 | The Wisdom of Menopause Journal: Your Guide to Creating Vibrant Health and Happiness in the Second Half of Your Life by Christiane Northrup Menopause is an unparalleled opportunity to turn your life around and create a firm foundation for the most fulfilling, healthy, joy-filled years of your life. The Wisdom of Menopause Journal—a companion to Dr. Christiane Northrup’s newly revised and best-selling book The Wisdom of Menopause—helps you focus on the “me” in menopause. Designed to help you both navigate and document this... |
 | The Menopause Diet by Larrian Gillespie |
 | Dr. Susan Love's Menopause and Hormone Book: Making Informed Choices by Susan M. Love, Karen Lindsey In the first edition of this important bestselling book, praised by Newsday as “the bible for a whole generation of menopausal women,” renowned physician and pioneering women’s health advocate Dr. Susan Love warned about the potential dangers of the long-term prescription of hormone replacement therapy. Her insightful words of caution have been backed up by the stunning results of the... |
 | Menopause For Dummies (For Dummies (Health & Fitness)) by Marcia L., Ph.D. Jones, Theresa, M.D. Eichenwald, Nancy W. Hall Although menopause is a natural and inevitable stage in every woman’s life, its physical, mental, and emotional manifestations can vary greatly from one person to the next. Add to this all of the conflicting “expert” information about the benefits, risks, and side effects to which women are exposed on a daily basis, and it’s easy to see why most find it difficult to make informed choices... |
 | Our Bodies, Ourselves: Menopause by Boston Women's Health Book Collective, Judy Norsigian FROM THE EDITORS OF THE CLASSIC "BIBLE OF WOMEN'S HEALTH," A TRUSTWORTHY, UP-TO-DATE GUIDE TO HELP EVERY WOMAN NAVIGATE THE MENOPAUSE TRANSITIONFor decades, millions of women have relied on Our Bodies, Ourselves to provide the most comprehensive, honest, and accurate information on women's health. Now, in Our Bodies, Ourselves: Menopause, the editors of the classic guide discuss the transition of... |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |