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“We hope to use the information from this study and others that identify genes associated with this problem to find biomarkers in blood that can help us determine a woman’s risk of early infertility,” said Dr. Aleksandar Rajkovic, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at BCM and senior author of the paper. Premature ovarian failure, which means that the ovaries lose function before age 40, not only causes infertility but also bone and heart problems, he said. “It affects 1 percent of women,” he said. “While most people associate it with infertility, women with premature ovarian failure face an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and premature death. Ovarian reserves are important for women’s health.” In looking for genes that cause the disorder, Rajkovic and his colleagues here and in China concentrated on those that are most likely to function in the ovary. A gene mutation does not totally halt gene activity, but Rajkovic believes it can accelerate the loss of eggs (or germ cells). When all the eggs are lost, the ovaries stop producing estrogen, leading to menopause symptoms. In this study, Rajkovic and his collaborators screened 100 Chinese women with premature ovarian failure for mutations in FIGLA and found three different kinds of mutations in the FIGLA genes of four.

Tags: oocytespecific, infertility, ovarian on 2008-05-27 -All Annotations (0) -About

more fromwww.innovations-report.de

A new medical test for women who want to check their biological clocks is debuting in Chicago amid concerns about its usefulness and enormous interest in the consequences of delayed childbearing. Called Plan Ahead, it is the first fertility test that purports to measure a woman's "ovarian reserve"—how many good eggs she has available for conception. The $350 test will be marketed to women who are contemplating when to have children and who want to recognize any potential biological limitations. Dr. Benjamin Leader, chief medical officer for the company marketing the test, Repromedix, compares it to checking the gas gauge on a car to see how much is left in the tank.

Tags: fertility, test, eggs, children, ovarian on 2008-04-30 -All Annotations (0) -About

more fromwww.chicagotribune.com

I found a fantastic article about how diet affects infertility. The article mainly addresses ovulatory infertility and there was no study on male factor infertility, although some of the same dietary concepts might apply to men too. To recap (with my commentary), the article states that there is a difference between fast and slow carbs. If you’re like me, then giving up potatoes might be an inconvenience, but if it means you can improve your ovulatory infertility than DO IT. The article continues to discuss animal versus plant protein. With ovulatory infertility, the study suggests that protein derived from plant is more helpful to ovulation than is animal protein. The higher the animal protein the more likelihood of infertility issues. The higher the animal protein the less occurrence of ovulation issues. So while you’re trying to become pregnant, eat less meat and more vegetables high in protein. My favorite part of the article deals with dairy (one of my favorite foods)…the article suggests having one full-fat dairy food serving per day. They state that a pint should last about two weeks with two half-cup servings per week. Just yesterday I was feeling guilty that I take my twin girls to Baskin Robins every Tuesday for Two-for-Tuesdays. Little did I know that I was helping their ovulatory fertility by doing so - do you think it works on 3 1/2 year olds? Somehow I doubt it. The article wraps up with the role of body weight, BMI and exercise. Weight is a determining factor in so many diseases and I wasn’t surprised to see it mentioned here. I know skinny and heavy people who had no problems getting pregnant while the perfectly fit (as this article describes) unable to conceive. So, I agree that it plays a part, but its one of the many, many pieces of fertility issues. Seems that regular exercise actually improves more than just your overall health, it helps with ovulatory fertility too.

Tags: fertility, infertility, ovulation, ovarian on 2008-04-29 -All Annotations (0) -About

more fromwww.commonvoice.com

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am writing in regard to the letter from the woman diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome. I was diagnosed with Stein-Leventhal syndrome after many futile fertility treatments. My doctor performed an ovarian wedge surgery, and six months later I was pregnant. I conceived a second child 21 months after that. I think polycystic ovary syndrome and Stein-Leventhal syndrome are the same. Why don't I ever read about the ovarian wedge surgery for infertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome? — L.F. Doctors Stein and Leventhal first described polycystic ovarian syndrome in 1937, and the name became Stein-Leventhal syndrome. Now it's most often called polycystic ovary syndrome. Those two doctors pointed out the salient features of the syndrome: enlarged ovaries studded with cysts, loss of menstrual periods, and obesity. Infertility was another common feature. Doctors Stein and Leventhal also championed the surgical treatment of this syndrome — removal of a wedge of the ovary. The operation worked for some reason, but that reason wasn't appreciated until more recently. Removing the wedge decreased the production of male hormone, which is the basis of the syndrome. Now that new information has shown that an overproduction of male hormone is the important cause of the syndrome, there are many medicines that can be used to treat it. The wedge removal isn't necessary. For one thing, it almost always caused only a transitory drop in male hormone production. For another, it was often associated with the formation of adhesions. Taking medicines is much easier than having surgery and is a more reliable way to treat this illness, which now is known to have many features that were unrecognized in bygone years. One of those features is insensitivity to the action of insulin.

Tags: polycystic ovarian syndrome, infertility, fertility, ovarian on 2008-04-27 -All Annotations (0) -About

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