Early removal of ovaries may end up in the event of chronic medical conditions and premature aging, a latest study shows. Women who undergo oophorectomy before the age of 46 could have a greater risk of arthritis, sleep apnea and broken bones.

An oophorectomy is a surgical treatment to remove either one or each of the ovaries. Ovaries play a vital role within the production of estrogen and progesterone, the hormones crucial for menstruation and ovulation. Other than the reproductive role, these hormones are needed for brain health, bone strength and regulating blood sugar levels.

Oophorectomy is finished in individuals with conditions akin to endometriosis, ovarian cancer and noncancerous tumors within the ovaries. When the procedure involves removing one ovary, it is named unilateral oophorectomy, while the removal of each ovaries is generally known as bilateral oophorectomy.

For the most recent study, researchers from the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina evaluated 274 women who had a PBO (premenopausal bilateral oophorectomy) with or with no hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus).

The health records of the participants were assessed to find out chronic conditions. Using neurocognitive testing and physical function assessment, their cognitive function, strength and mobility were measured.

The researchers found that girls who underwent a PBO between the ages of 46 and 49 had a better risk of developing arthritis and obstructive sleep apnea. Women who underwent the procedure before the age of 46 had an elevated risk of arthritis, asthma, obstructive sleep apnea and broken bones.

“Women with a history of PBO (premenopausal bilateral oophorectomy) with or without concurrent or preceding hysterectomy, especially at age <46 years, have more chronic conditions in late mid-life compared with referents," the researchers wrote in a paper published within the journal Menopause.

Researchers hope the findings will help patients who’re considering oophorectomy to make informed decisions concerning the procedure.

“The study is essential since it emphasizes information that we already know, and that’s that …premenopausal bilateral oophorectomy [PBO] will not be good for ladies’s health, and it’s related to increased odds of quite a few chronic diseases,” said Dr. Stephanie Faubion, director of ladies’s health on the Mayo Clinic, which led the study.

Published by Medicaldaily.com