Leaving child-rearing until mid-way through a woman’s career might be the best decision or the worst as more and more women turn to IVF and freezing eggs for future implantation. But a new study from the University of Utah offers hope, suggesting the possibility of extending the reproductive life of women from 45 up until 60 or longer.
Recent research, based on a mathematical model developed by a University of Utah mathematician, indicates that it might be feasible to delay the onset of menopause, potentially indefinitely, by re-implanting previously harvested ovarian tissue back into a woman’s body. This technique, pioneered for cancer patients, has shown promise in restoring fertility, offering hope for women seeking to extend their reproductive years.
This interdisciplinary work is a collaboration between a University of Utah mathematician, with leading ovarian biologists and physicians from University of Colorado School of Medicine and Yale School of Medicine. The study, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (AJOG), is a significant advancement in the potential to delay the onset of menopause and its associated health issues.
The study concludes that the ovarian tissue preservation and transplantation procedure pioneered for cancer patients could be applied to healthy women to potentially delay the onset of menopause and its negative effects. Additionally, the development of an online calculator allows women to determine the potential delay in their menopause, based on various factors such as age at the time of tissue preservation and the number of replacement procedures later in life.
Overall, the research offers promising insights into the potential for delaying menopause and its associated health issues, based on mathematical modeling and innovative medical interventions.
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The study indicates that the younger a woman is when her ovarian tissue is preserved, the longer her menopause could be delayed, potentially even eliminating it in some cases. However, the feasibility and safety of delaying menopause beyond age 60 would need to be clinically evaluated.
Top image via Charleston Moms
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