Tags: hysterectomy | ovary | menopause | women

Saving Ovaries Doesn't Cut Menopause Risk

Tuesday, 22 November 2011 09:35 AM EST


The removal of a woman’s uterus in a procedure known as a hysterectomy will stop her periods and prevent her from becoming pregnant. When the ovaries are also removed, early menopause is likely. Women sometimes opt to keep at least one ovary for hormone production, and to keep other medical risks in check (e.g., bone loss, heart disease).

But women who kept one or both ovaries after a hysterectomy were still twice as likely to experience early menopause, compared to women who do not have their uterus removed, according to a study published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Of approximately 450 women between the ages of 30 to 47 who had a hysterectomy but kept at least one ovary, almost 15 percent went through menopause during the five-year study. Women who kept one ovary were found to be at the greatest risk for menopause, but even women who kept both ovaries had an increased risk.

Just 8 percent of the women who didn’t have a hysterectomy went through menopause during the study – and they did so about two years later than women who had a hysterectomy.

What causes the ovaries to shut down after a hysterectomy remains unknown.

“Some have hypothesized that surgery disrupts the blood flow to the ovaries, so the surgery leads to early ovarian failure,” said lead author Patricia G. Moorman, an associate professor at Duke University in North Carolina. “Others have speculated it’s not the surgery but the underlying condition that causes it. Right now, it’s unresolved.”


© HealthDay


Health-Wire
Women who kept one or both ovaries after a hysterectomy were still twice as likely to experience early menopause as women who did not have their uterus removed, according to a new study.
hysterectomy,ovary,menopause,women,
253
2011-35-22
Tuesday, 22 November 2011 09:35 AM
Newsmax Media, Inc.

Sign up for Newsmax’s Daily Newsletter

Receive breaking news and original analysis - sent right to your inbox.

(Optional for Local News)
Privacy: We never share your email address.
Join the Newsmax Community
Read and Post Comments
Please review Community Guidelines before posting a comment.
 
You May Also Like
Get Newsmax Text Alerts
TOP

The information presented on this website is not intended as specific medical advice and is not a substitute for professional medical treatment or diagnosis. Read Newsmax Terms and Conditions of Service.

Newsmax, Moneynews, Newsmax Health, and Independent. American. are registered trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Newsmax TV, and Newsmax World are trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc.

NEWSMAX.COM
© Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
NEWSMAX.COM
© Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved