AMH

TUESDAY, Jan. 30, 2024 -- For women approaching the final menstrual period (FMP), heavy metals may diminish ovarian reserve, according to a study published online Jan. 25 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism . Ning Ding, Ph.D., M.P.H., from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues examined the associations of heavy metals with anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), a marker of ovarian reserve, among 549 women from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation with 2,252 repeated AMH measurements taken from 10 to 0 years before the FMP. High-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to measure urinary concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead. The researchers found that women in the highest versus the lowest tertile of urinary arsenic or mercury concentrations had lower AMH concentrations at the FMP after adjustment for confounders (percentage change, −32.1 and −40.7 percent for arsenic and mercury, respectively). Accelerated rates of decline in AMH over time were seen in association with higher cadmium and mercury (percent change per year, −9.0 and −7.3 percent, respectively). "This information may enable researchers to address adverse health outcomes known to be associated with metals and with reproductive hormone changes (e.g., premature menopause, bone loss and osteoporosis, increased risks of cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, vasomotor symptoms)," the authors write. Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required) Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions. Posted January 2024 More news resources FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts Daily MedNews News for Health Professionals New Drug Approvals New Drug Applications Drug Shortages Clinical Trial Results Generic Drug Approvals Subscribe to our newsletter Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.

FRIDAY, Jan. 26, 2024 -- Exposure to toxic heavy metals could cause middle-aged women to have more health problems as they grow older, a new study finds. The study links toxic metal exposure to women having fewer eggs in their ovaries as they approach menopause. This condition -- known as diminished ovarian reserve -- could cause worse health problems during menopause and afterwards, researchers say. "Widespread exposure to toxins in heavy metals may have a big impact on health problems linked to earlier aging of the ovaries in middle-aged women, such as hot flashes, bone weakening and osteoporosis, higher chances of heart disease and cognitive decline,” said researcher Sung Kyun Park , an associate professor of epidemiology and environmental health sciences at the University of Michigan. Women with higher levels of heavy metals in their urine -- including arsenic, cadmium, mercury or lead -- tended to have lower blood levels of a reproductive hormone called Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), according to the study published Jan. 25 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism . AMH levels correspond to the number of eggs a woman has in her ovaries. Higher levels mean more eggs, while lower levels mean fewer eggs. “AMH tells us roughly how many eggs are left in a woman's ovaries -- it's like a biological clock for the ovaries that can hint at health risks in middle age and later in life,” Park said in a journal news release. These new findings jibe with previous studies that have linked heavy metals with women’s reproductive aging and diminished ovarian reserve, the researchers noted. Heavy metals are common contaminants in drinking water, food and polluted air, researchers said. They are considered endocrine-disrupting chemicals that can affect human reproduction. For the new study, researchers analyzed urine samples and blood tests taken from nearly 550 middle-aged women. The AMH blood test data went up to 10 years before the women entered menopause. “Metals, including arsenic and cadmium, possess endocrine-disrupting characteristics and may be potentially toxic to the ovaries,” Park said. “We need to study the younger population as well, to fully understand the role of chemicals in diminished ovarian reserve and infertility.” Sources Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, news release, Jan. 25, 2024 Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions. Posted January 2024 More news resources FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts Daily MedNews News for Health Professionals New Drug Approvals New Drug Applications Drug Shortages Clinical Trial Results Generic Drug Approvals Subscribe to our newsletter Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.

Middle-aged women who are exposed to toxic metals may have fewer eggs in their ovaries as they approach menopause, according to new research. Middle-aged women who are exposed to toxic metals may have fewer eggs in their ovaries as they approach menopause, according to new research published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Diminished ovarian reserve is when women have fewer eggs compared to others their age. The condition may be linked to health problems such as hot flashes, weak bones and a higher chance of heart disease. Menopause is a normal part of the aging process a woman goes through that causes her monthly periods to end. The menopausal transition includes the years leading up to that point, when women may experience symptoms such as changes in their monthly cycles, hot flashes or night sweats. The menopausal transition most often begins between the ages 45 and 55 and usually lasts about seven years. Studies have linked heavy metals measured in urine with women's reproductive aging and diminished ovarian reserve. Heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead are commonly found in our drinking water, air pollution and food contamination and are considered endocrine-disrupting chemicals. "Widespread exposure to toxins in heavy metals may have a big impact on health problems linked to earlier aging of the ovaries in middle-aged women, such as hot flashes, bone weakening and osteoporosis, higher chances of heart disease and cognitive decline," said study author Sung Kyun Park, Sc.D., M.P.H., Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich. "Our study linked heavy metal exposure to lower levels of Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) in middle-aged women. AMH tells us roughly how many eggs are left in a woman's ovaries-it's like a biological clock for the ovaries that can hint at health risks in middle age and later in life." The researchers studied 549 middle-aged women from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) who were transitioning to menopause and had evidence of heavy metals -- including arsenic, cadmium, mercury or lead -- in their urine samples. They analyzed data from AMH blood tests from up to 10 years before the women's final menstrual periods. They found women with higher levels of metal in their urine were more likely to have lower AMH levels, an indicator of diminished ovarian reserve. "Metals, including arsenic and cadmium, possess endocrine disrupting characteristics and may be potentially toxic to the ovaries," Park said. "We need to study the younger population as well to fully understand the role of chemicals in diminished ovarian reserve and infertility." Other study authors: Ning Ding, Xin Wang, Siobán Harlow and John Randolph Jr. of the University of Michigan; and Ellen Gold of the University of California Davis School of Medicine in Davis, Calif. The study was funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institute on Aging, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.