Large study finds genetic signals that might be used to predict early menopause
A large new study scanned the genes of hundreds of thousands of women near the age of menopause and turned up hundreds of genetic signals that the researchers said might help predict and prevent early menopause, as well as treat infertility and improve women’s reproductive health in the future.
The study, published in Nature, identified 290 genetic variants, many of them part of a pathway that repairs DNA, associated with the age at which women enter menopause. Researchers also found that changing the levels of two of these DNA repair genes delayed menopause in mice. The study broadens the understanding of how genes, specifically those in the DNA-damage response pathway, could influence the reproductive lifespan in women.
