When a woman reaches menopause (defined as the absence of menstruation for at least 12 months), the effects on her health are immediate and dramatic.
That's because the ovary is an endocrine organ (aside from its reproductive function). And when you stop excreting a mixture of chemicals that communicate with nearly every tissue in your body, everything from your brain to your muscles to your skin is affected.
“Your risk for osteoporosis increases overnight, and your risk for cardiovascular disease increases overnight,” says Jennifer Garrison, a neuroscientist at the Buck Institute on Aging in California. And this seismic shift often occurs between the ages of her 45 and her 55 (the average age of onset is her 51), which coincides with women's peak labor force years. A study published by the Mayo Clinic estimates that menopause costs Americans up to $1.8 billion in lost work time and more than $26 billion in medical costs.
“The ovaries are the architects of healthy aging in women,” says Garrison. Therefore, it makes no sense to talk about women's health and longevity without taking into account the reproductive lifespan. For example, why do the ovaries, which begin to show signs of aging in women in their 30s, deteriorate decades earlier than other organs? Why do some people go through menopause earlier or later than average? And most importantly, if we can delay menopause by keeping our ovaries functioning longer, will we be healthier for longer?
Unfortunately, research on reproductive health has long focused on fertility and age at childbearing. David Pepin, a reproductive biologist at Harvard University, recalls meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration five years ago to discuss funding.
In a normal mouse ovary, many immature eggs (or oocytes) appear red. A large oocyte surrounded by green hormone-producing granulosa cells indicates a growing follicle. Typically, one oocyte grows large enough to be released during ovulation. Photomicrograph by David Peppin
“We couldn't convince them that it was important for the ovaries to function and produce hormones. The ovaries aren't just for making babies,” Pepin says. As a result, he had to be resourceful. Some of the research he has done on the ovary life cycle has been funded by applications to control domestic cat populations.
However, the tide is changing.
Over the past five years, “interest and research has increased exponentially,” Garrison said. In 2020, he co-founded the Global Consortium for Reproductive Longevity and Equity, an initiative that funds scientists, fosters collaboration, and educates the public about reproductive longevity and equality. The important role of reproductive health in women's health. “All of a sudden, research conferences on aging are now talking about reproductive ageing, whereas it wasn't two or three years ago.”
Why are ovaries important?
Healthy ovaries produce a series of molecules that send signals to distant organs and help them function. The best-studied one is estrogen, which rises and falls with the menstrual cycle and peaks before ovulation. However, estrogen receptors (molecules that capture estrogen and trigger downstream effects in cells and tissues) are found throughout the body, and estrogen's reach extends far beyond the reproductive organs.
When estrogen binds to its receptor, the resulting complex acts on DNA, turning on some genes and turning off others. Therefore, estrogen affects many areas. In the cardiovascular system, this hormone helps widen blood vessels and lubricate their lining to make them more slippery, which lowers blood pressure and prevents blood clots from forming.Has neuroprotective effects in the brain—It reduces inflammation, promotes healthy synapses, and removes misfolded proteins. In the musculoskeletal system, estrogen helps maintain bones as well as build and repair muscles.
