Premature menopause- is there any therapy?
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Hello, my sister is 32 years old. She was not getting her periods for last 7-8 months. She has undergone all the required tests. Doctor has indicated that it might be due to premature menopause that is premature ovarian failure before the age of 40 years. It is marked by amenorrhea, increased gonadotrophin levels and oestrogen deficiency. Premature menopause can be spontaneous or induced. Induced premature menopause could be as a result of medical interventions such as chemotherapy or surgical interventions such as bilateral oophorectomy. Regardless of cause, women who experience oestrogen deficiency at an early age before the natural menopause are now recognized to be at increased risk for premature morbidity and mortality. What should we do now? Is there any therapy available?
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@debina The most important approach in management of premature menopause is to identify the cause and institute treatment based on the cause. It is now possible to restore follicular maturation, ovulation and menstruation with treatment of identified cause of premature menopause. With ovulation induction or oocyte donation in IVF programmes, it is possible to achieve pregnancy. Women with primed endometrium using oestrogen, can be followed with progestogen challenge test to demonstrate the possibility of induction of menstruation. It is good practice to recommend oestrogen replacement therapy for women with premature menopause. Women with hypo oestrogenaemia may require hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to avoid osteoporosis. There is some evidence that restoring normal oestrogen levels will reduce the later development of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and possibly dementia. Thus, short term use of HRT is considered an option by many.