New Study Suggests Infertility Treatment Could Delay Menopause Indefinitely
In a groundbreaking new study, scientists have discovered that a procedure used to treat infertility in cancer patients may hold the key to delaying menopause indefinitely. The procedure, known as ovarian tissue cryopreservation, involves implanting a woman’s previously harvested ovarian tissue to rebuild the follicles necessary for restoring fertility. While the procedure has been successfully used on cancer patients at risk of early-onset menopause, this study suggests that it could be used to delay or even eliminate menopause altogether.
The study, led by Dr. Kutluk Oktay, a fertility specialist and ovarian biologist at Yale School of Medicine, has the potential to revolutionize women’s health. Dr. Oktay explains, “For the first time in medical history, we have the ability to potentially delay or eliminate menopause.” He is the director of the Laboratory of Molecular Reproduction and Fertility Preservation and the medical director and founder of the Innovation Institute for Fertility Preservation.
Ovarian tissue cryopreservation differs from freezing eggs, as it allows women to restore their ovarian function before menopause occurs. The process involves removing and freezing ovarian tissue, which is then thawed and reimplanted under the patient’s skin. Within 10 days, the tissue reconnects to the surrounding blood vessels, restoring ovarian function. The entire process takes approximately three months.
Dr. Oktay compares the procedure to freezing a baby’s cord blood at birth for potential future health issues. Freezing ovarian tissue works in a similar way, providing women with the opportunity to delay menopause and potentially avoid health complications associated with it. Approximately 11 percent of healthy women experience late menopause after the age of 55, which can lead to various health issues such as heart failure, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
The study suggests that women with a family history of menopause-related complications may consider this procedure at an early age to bring their menopause age to normal. Dr. Oktay emphasizes that while menopause is a natural process, this breakthrough aims to level the playing field for women at risk of extreme symptoms or early menopause. He also notes that studies have shown that women with late menopause tend to live longer, possibly due to genetic factors related to DNA repair.
Dr. Oktay developed cryopreservation in the 1990s and performed the first ovarian transplant procedure on a cancer patient in 1999. His recent focus has been on applying the procedure to pre-menopausal women and developing a mathematical model to predict how long it can delay menopause. The model shows that the younger a woman is when she undergoes cryopreservation, the longer her menopause will be delayed. For example, preserving ovarian tissue at 25 years old can delay menopause by an average of 15.6 years, while preserving tissue at 40 years old only delays it by an average of 3.4 years.
The study also highlights the importance of considering the health benefits associated with delaying menopause. Menopause can cause various symptoms such as mood swings, aches and pains, hot flashes, migraines, and weight gain. By keeping ovaries functioning longer, women may be able to delay or even prevent health issues related to cardiovascular disease, bone density loss, and obesity.
The research team used existing biological data about the rate at which women’s follicles decrease and developed a model to estimate the number of dormant eggs present in a woman’s ovaries at the time of menopause. The model takes into account age and egg quality, showing that the procedure is unlikely to delay menopause beyond age 40 for women with an average egg reserve. However, advancements in freezing and transplantation methods may change this in the future.
This groundbreaking study opens up new possibilities for women’s reproductive health and overall well-being. If the procedure proves successful in humans, it could mean that women can remain fertile well into their 70s and beyond. The potential to delay or eliminate menopause offers hope for women at risk of early menopause or those who wish to maintain their ovarian function for longer. Further clinical evaluation is needed to assess the feasibility and safety of delaying menopause beyond age 60. As scientists continue to explore the possibilities, the future of women’s health looks brighter than ever before.
