Human Reproduction, Vol. 18, No. 6, 1137-1139,
June 2003
© 2003 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
Early ovarian ageing: a hypothesis
Detection and clinical relevance
Academic Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Aberdeen, UK
1 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: 15 Harriers Close, Ealing, London, W5 3UA, UK. e-mail: dnikolaou{at}talk21.com
An important scientific breakthrough of the 20th century, IVF helped open new horizons in medicine, such as pre-implantation genetic diagnosis and embryonic stem-cell therapy. A further contribution of assisted reproduction technology has been the better understanding of reproductive ageing. Data from IVF cycles suggest that there is a fixed time-interval between accelerated decline of fertility and the menopause. This leads to the hypothesis that a significant proportion of asymptomatic women in the early thirties may be at risk of early onset of subfertility. IVF provides a model for the development of ovarian reserve tests, some of which appear promising as potential screening tools for early ovarian ageing in the general population.
Key words: IVF/ovarian ageing/screening
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