July 28, 2024

275. Delaying Menopause - Understanding the Ovary

45 minutes

275 Delaying Menopause - Understanding the Ovary

Dr. Jennifer Garrison, a researcher and assistant professor at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, discusses her work on women's health and aging. She explains that her goal is to understand the underlying mechanisms of aging and develop interventions that promote women's health. Dr. Garrison focuses on the role of the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that controls various homeostatic systems in the body, including reproductive function. She emphasizes the importance of studying bioactive peptides, which act as chemical signals between the brain and other tissues. Menopause is defined as the cessation of menstruation for 12 months, but it also coincides with changes in ovarian function and the production of various chemical signals. Dr. Garrison highlights the need for further research to understand ovarian function and develop interventions to extend ovarian health. The conversation explores the work of the Center for Reproductive Longevity and Equality and the importance of maintaining ovarian function for healthy aging in women. The center funds grants to scientists and clinicians studying ovarian aging and has seen significant progress in the field. The discussion also touches on the use of frozen ovarian tissue for preserving fertility in cancer patients and the role of peptides in reproductive function. The conversation emphasizes the need to reframe the narrative around women's health and highlights the inequality in health span between men and women.

Takeaways

Understanding the underlying mechanisms of aging can lead to interventions that promote women's health.

The hypothalamus plays a crucial role in regulating various homeostatic systems in the body, including reproductive function.

Bioactive peptides act as chemical signals between the brain and other tissues, influencing various physiological processes.

Menopause is defined as the cessation of menstruation for 12 months, but it also involves changes in ovarian function and the production of chemical signals.

Further research is needed to understand ovarian function and develop interventions to extend ovarian health. The Center for Reproductive Longevity and Equality funds grants to study ovarian aging and has seen significant progress in the field.

Frozen ovarian tissue can be used to preserve fertility in cancer patients.

Peptides play a crucial role in reproductive function, but caution should be exercised when using peptide therapies.

The narrative about women's health needs to be reframed to focus on maintaining ovarian function for healthy aging.

Women live longer than men on average but spend a longer portion of their lives in poor health, highlighting an inequality in health span.

https://www.buckinstitute.org/lab/garrison-lab/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjennifergarrison/

https://gcrle.org/

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By Kelly Casperson, MD

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