Causes, Treatment, & Prevention of Premature Ovarian Failure

What causes premature menopause or ovarian failure? What are the symptoms? What can you do to prevent and treat it? Host Dawn Davenport, Executive Director of Creating a Family, the national infertility & adoption education and support organization, will interview Dr. Mark Perloe & Dr. Benjamin Leader. Dr. Perloe is Medical Director of Georgia Reproductive Specialists in Atlanta. He received training at Penn State University and the University of Wisconsin before completing an Reproductive Endocrinology fellowship at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Benjamin Leader is Director of Clinical Research at ReproSource, a clinical fertility testing and research laboratory dedicated to improving reproductive health. Dr. Leader is a Harvard and MIT-trained physician scientist.

Listen

Hit the Highlights
  • How is premature ovarian failure defined?
  • There are so many names associated with this condition: premature ovarian failure, primary ovarian insufficiency, diminished ovarian reserves, premature menopause. Probably more.
  • At what age is it considered premature?
  • How does prematurely diminished ovarian reserves in younger women differ from standard menopause?
  • What are the symptoms?
  • Is there such a thing as a typical age when women with diminished ovarian reserves have impaired fertility? In other words, their ovarian reserves dip to the point that they won’t be able to easily get pregnant without treatment?
  • Does the diagnosis mean simply diminished numbers of eggs, or does it also mean diminished quality of eggs?
  • Are you more likely to have a child with Down Syndrome if you have premature ovarian insufficiency?
  • Are women with PCOS more likely to have premature ovarian failure because they are using up more of their egg supply each month?
  • Is endometriosis a risk factor for premature ovarian failure?
  • What tests are used to diagnose it?
  • What causes premature menopause?
  • Is being overweight a risk factor for primary ovarian insufficiency?
  • What are some of the other health impacts of premature ovarian failure, other than impaired fertility?
  • Is there any way to slow down the accelerated reduction of eggs in a younger woman with premature ovarian failure?
  • What are fertility treatment options for women with diminished ovarian reserves?
  • Are supplements such as coenzyme Q-10 (CoQ10) effective at improving egg quality in women with premature ovarian failure?
  • What are other ways to prevent some of the health consequences associated with premature ovarian failure?