All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Severe menopause could be solved by ovarian rejuvenation
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
According to Aubrey de Grey (gerontologist), in a quarter of a century women will no longer have problems during menopause. Over the past few years, regenerative medicine and cellular technologies have made a real breakthrough and today the idea of significantly increasing the time given to a woman by nature for conceiving and giving birth to a child is not so fantastic.
Anti-aging therapy can also be used to rejuvenate human reproductive organs. For example, ovarian stimulation is used today to promote conception. Using rejuvenation techniques, new ovarian tissue can be created. But not all experts support Aubrey de Grey's point of view. There are currently no research-confirmed grounds to believe that stem cells are capable of restoring and renewing ovarian tissue in women.
If at present the idea that the ovaries can really be rejuvenated and restored raises a number of questions and mistrust, then all experts agree with the opinion that an unhealthy lifestyle and bad habits contribute to the early onset of menopause in women. According to the results of one study, cigarettes bring the onset of menopause closer by several years. In one of the medical schools of Pennsylvania, a group of specialists led by Dr. Samantha Butts found that menopause occurs almost 10 years earlier than the established period in smoking European women. In addition, 7% of European women who took part in the experiment had genetic changes.
Menopause is a transitional period when physical, psychological, and hormonal changes are observed in a woman's body. During this period, menstruation stops and the actual aging stage begins. This period is tolerated individually, but in most cases, sleep disturbances, vaginal dryness, a feeling of heat, sweating, etc. are noted. Specialists have developed some fairly effective methods for combating severe symptoms of menopause, such as hormonal therapy.
A recent study found that an antidepressant (venlafaxine hydrochloride) is as effective in relieving some menopausal symptoms as low-dose estrogen, which is used in hormone therapy.
Hormonal therapy, which is prescribed to women during menopause, can cause severe side effects during long-term treatment, and specialists strongly recommend reducing dosages and trying to take hormones as little as possible. It has now been established that there is a fairly effective and safer replacement for hormonal therapy.
The effect of antidepressants was tested on a group of volunteers (more than 300 women) who had pronounced symptoms of menopause. All the participants were divided into groups, one of which took venlafaxine (antidepressant), while the other was prescribed hormonal therapy (small doses of estradiol). The experiment lasted two months, during which specialists recorded all the unpleasant symptoms that the women experienced. As a result, the scientists concluded that the frequency and severity of menopause symptoms decreased by almost 53% in the group that took estradiol, and by almost 48% in the group taking antidepressants. In the group of women who took a placebo, specialists recorded a decrease in symptoms of almost 29%.
[