A Study by Duke University researchers published in the Obstetrics & Gynecology journal, found that having a hysterectomy increases the risk of an earlier menopause among younger women.
It confirms what many women, obstetricians and gynecologists have suspected for a long time now.
The researchers led by Patricia G. Moorman, PhD, MSPH, report that younger women who undergo hysterectomies face a nearly two-fold increase in the risk for developing menopause early.
The study is the largest analysis to track over time the actual hormonal impact of woman who had hysterectomies and compare them to women whose uteruses remained intact.
Nearly 900 women ages 30 to 47 were enrolled at two hospitals in Durham, N.C. (Duke University Hospital and Durham Regional Hospital) and followed up with blood tests and questionnaires over five years. 465 women (approx half the group), were healthy controls who had no surgery, whilst the remaining 406 women went through hysterectomies that spared at least one ovary.
The researchers found that 14.8 percent of women in the study who had hysterectomies experienced menopause over the course of the duration of the study, compared with only 8 percent in the group of women who had not had surgery.
The analysis carried out by the Duke’s researchers estimated that menopause occurred approximately two years earlier in the women who underwent hysterectomy.
Professor Moorman concluded that this could potentially change practice because women who are considering hysterectomy for fibroids or other problems may want to explore other treatment options for their condition if they know they may go through menopause earlier.
This just confirms my opinion that hysterectomies should really be the last resort when there are no other options left.
