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Irregular Periods Could Signal Osteoporosis Risk
vent endometrial cancer. A separate WHI study of estrogen alone in women who had a hysterectomy before joining the WHI hormone program continues unchanged because, at this point, the balance of risks and benefits of estrogen alone is still uncertain.
The report from the WHI investigators on the estrogen plus progestin study findings was published in the July 17 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association, but because of the importance of the information, the study was released prior to publication on July 9. A
Irregular Periods Could Signal Osteoporosis Risk
I
Many women with premature ovarian failure experience bone loss serious enough to possibly place them at risk for later bone fractures
300
AWHONN Lifelines
rregular menstrual periods in young women may be a warning sign of a hormonal shortage that could lead to osteoporosis, according to a preliminary study by researchers at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). The study, of women with a condition known as premature ovarian failure (POF), appears in the May issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Premature ovarian failure occurs when the ovaries stop producing eggs and reproductive hormones well in advance of natural menopause. An estimated 1 percent of American women develop the condition by age 40. Most of the women who took part in the study reported a history of amenorrhea— absence of a menstrual period for three months or more—before they were later diagnosed with POF. Moreover, the majority of these young women had not considered amenorrhea as a significant health problem. The NICHD researchers surveyed 48 women with POF, to try to gain an understanding of the early signs of the disorder. Most of the women interviewed did not view a change in menstrual pattern as an important health issue, and this factor may have contributed to a delay in their receiving a diagnosis of POF. The diagnosis of POF can be problematic, because although 3 percent of young
women will experience amenorrhea in a given year, most of them do not go on to develop POF. Yet by the time they receive a diagnosis, many women with POF experience bone loss serious enough to possibly place them at risk for later bone fractures. In an earlier study of 89 women with POF, the same group of researchers found that 67 percent of the women had already developed osteopenia—the low bone density that precedes osteoporosis. The high rate of bone loss in women with POF might be due to a delay in diagnosing and treating the hormonal shortfall that accompanies the disorder, researchers wrote. In the current study, the researchers found that 92 percent of the women with POF reported a change in menstrual cycle as the first symptom they experienced. Moreover, more than half of the women with amenorrhea reported seeing three or more different providers before they received their diagnosis. One fourth of the women did not receive a diagnosis for five or more years after the beginning of menstrual irregularity. In almost all cases, at least some laboratory testing will need to be performed to determine the cause of the irregular periods. Treatment for POF usually consists of replacing the missing reproductive hormones estrogen and progesterone.
Volume 6
Issue 4
The report from the WHI investigators on the estrogen plus progestin study findings was published in the July 17 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association, but because of the importance of the information, the study was released prior to publication on July 9. A
Irregular Periods Could Signal Osteoporosis Risk
I
Many women with premature ovarian failure experience bone loss serious enough to possibly place them at risk for later bone fractures
300
AWHONN Lifelines
rregular menstrual periods in young women may be a warning sign of a hormonal shortage that could lead to osteoporosis, according to a preliminary study by researchers at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). The study, of women with a condition known as premature ovarian failure (POF), appears in the May issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Premature ovarian failure occurs when the ovaries stop producing eggs and reproductive hormones well in advance of natural menopause. An estimated 1 percent of American women develop the condition by age 40. Most of the women who took part in the study reported a history of amenorrhea— absence of a menstrual period for three months or more—before they were later diagnosed with POF. Moreover, the majority of these young women had not considered amenorrhea as a significant health problem. The NICHD researchers surveyed 48 women with POF, to try to gain an understanding of the early signs of the disorder. Most of the women interviewed did not view a change in menstrual pattern as an important health issue, and this factor may have contributed to a delay in their receiving a diagnosis of POF. The diagnosis of POF can be problematic, because although 3 percent of young
women will experience amenorrhea in a given year, most of them do not go on to develop POF. Yet by the time they receive a diagnosis, many women with POF experience bone loss serious enough to possibly place them at risk for later bone fractures. In an earlier study of 89 women with POF, the same group of researchers found that 67 percent of the women had already developed osteopenia—the low bone density that precedes osteoporosis. The high rate of bone loss in women with POF might be due to a delay in diagnosing and treating the hormonal shortfall that accompanies the disorder, researchers wrote. In the current study, the researchers found that 92 percent of the women with POF reported a change in menstrual cycle as the first symptom they experienced. Moreover, more than half of the women with amenorrhea reported seeing three or more different providers before they received their diagnosis. One fourth of the women did not receive a diagnosis for five or more years after the beginning of menstrual irregularity. In almost all cases, at least some laboratory testing will need to be performed to determine the cause of the irregular periods. Treatment for POF usually consists of replacing the missing reproductive hormones estrogen and progesterone.
Volume 6
Issue 4