(NewsNation) — Biologists once thought that when ovaries stop releasing eggs, they serve no further function in a woman’s body. But new research suggests they could provide important clues about women’s future health long after their reproductive years
Scientists at Northwestern University discovered that ovaries not only continue to age, but are the first organ to age in the female body
As ovaries age, they become inflamed and develop a buildup of hard, fibrous tissue that affects egg quality and impairs egg release. However, they continue to produce hormones that influence bone, heart and brain health, as well as metabolism
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Scientists believe that determining the biological age of the ovaries could help predict how long women will remain healthy, when menopause may begin, their potential cancer risk, and other health outcomes
Northwestern University reproductive aging scientist Francesca Duncan has been studying the ovary for more than a decade and is developing an ultrasound test to measure ovarian stiffness and determine the biological age of ovaries
“I’m obsessed with this concept that the post-reproductive ovary is not defunct,” Duncan told Northwestern Now. “It is definitely doing something, but what, we’re still not sure of. I think that’s where we’ll see huge developments in the next 10 years.”
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Scientists in China and Germany are already testing therapies based on the data that could potentially restore ovarian function and enhance fertility
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