Causes of early menopause are clearer

2001/02/02 Carton Virto, Eider - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Anatomia/Fisiologia

Women have the first month in adolescence and the last at age 50. 1% of women suffer early menopause,
a syndrome technically called premature ovarian failure. Due to malfunctions of the ovaries, they stop forming eggs when they are still very young. It occurs in women under 40 and, among other things, lose the ability to have children.

Genetic origin

It is believed that the causes of this syndrome are in the body itself, although researchers have not yet clarified what it is due to. In 70% of cases it is considered that the origin can be genetic and it is very possible to have hereditary syndrome. In other cases it can be attributed to erroneous immunological behaviors. Dr. Miren Mandiola of the Hospital Quirón de Donostia has told Elhuyar that there is a great lack of knowledge about early menopause, despite research. Without going any further, a group of Italian researchers published yesterday in the journal Nature genetics the genetic origin of early menopause. Research has been limited to a small region of chromosome 3. They study two possible genes and find that early menopause may be related to mutations in one of them. This and other genes correspond to proteins of great importance in body development, many of them related to tumors and certain hereditary dysfunctions.

However, it is the beginning of the road, not the end. Dr. Mandiola stresses that "there is still much to be understood about the exact genetic origin of early menopause and that, even if you understand it one day, there may be no genetic treatment to prevent it." And the origin does not have to be in a single gene, which makes everything very difficult.

However, the way to predict early menopause may be done this way. Now it is not possible to predict whether a woman will suffer an early menopause because "to do this, constant hormonal analyses should be made, which is not real," says Dr. Mandiola, "because a woman does not have to suspect that menopause comes to her earlier than expected. He comes by surprise and when he realizes it is too late to do anything." However, if foreseeable, these women could schedule maternity.

Replacement treatments

In addition to the inability to create children by themselves, these women must suffer other damages typical of menopause. These include the risk of violent osteoporosis. Therefore, although they do not want to be mothers, hormone treatments are fundamental.

On the other hand, despite suffering an early menopause, being a mother is not an impossible dream. If these women have had a uterus, so if someone gives an egg, it can be fertilized in the laboratory and then placed in the uterus. The method is relatively common in assisted fertilization units, with the major problem being obtaining the oculum. In Quirón there are 30 couples waiting for an egg. Dr. Mandiola stressed to Elhuyar that the difficulties in finding donor eggs are enormous, perhaps because it is more complicated than giving sperm. However, many couples are absolutely necessary to be parents. To be biological parents, of course.

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