Why Delay Menopause?
While the procedure may extend fertility, the goal of the procedure is not to enable patients to become pregnant at ages that are not safe, Dr. Oktay said. Rather, he said postponing menopause is medically beneficial.
Some research shows that women who have late menopause have a lower risk for all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease but a higher risk for breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancers.
Dr. Oktay said that delaying menopause could improve the quality of life for women by reducing menopausal symptoms like anxiety and depression. Clinicians could also use the procedure as preventive care for those who are at high risk for conditions associated with menopause, such as osteoporosis and dementia.
But Dr. Faubion is unconvinced that delaying menopause through OTT carries health benefits.
“Just because we can do this, should we?” she said. “And will it do the things that we think it will? Does preventing or delaying menopause delay the aging process? I think that’s what they’re trying to imply, and we don’t have evidence that that’s true.”
The study was funded by the National Science Foundation, U-Anschutz Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Research Funds, SF Faculty Early Career Development Program, and the National Institutes of Health awards. The authors reported no disclosures.
A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.