Keeping your eggs in the basket
Most women wouldn’t choose to have their ovaries removed if their doctor didn’t deem it necessary. But now it seems there’s even more reason to think twice about this major procedure. New research done at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine shows that the removal of ovaries could increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease. In fact, the risk is double if both ovaries are removed. This discovery was made after examining the medical records of 5,000 women in one Minnesota county over a 37-year period.
These new findings, presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, cast doubt on whether the elective removal of ovaries in women already undergoing a hysterectomy is the wisest choice, especially for patients with a family history of Parkinson’s disease.
What is the connection between the ovaries and Parkinson’s disease? It has to do with the protective qualities of estrogen, which is produced by the ovaries. Estrogen has been shown to make certain nerve cells less susceptible to toxins, perhaps by triggering genes that make protective proteins. The particular nerve cells that estrogen helps include those in an area of the brain that controls voluntary movement. In Parkinson’s patients, that is the region of the brain that shows deterioration, causing the illness’ characteristic symptoms of shaking and unsteady gait.
In the past, the relationship between estrogen and Parkinson’s disease has been investigated only in animals. This latest study is seen as a step forward, as it is based on women and their care.
In the Mayo clinic investigation, researchers found that of the 2,485 women who had undergone the surgical removal of one or both ovaries, 43 developed Parkinson’s symptoms and 25 developed the full-blown disease. Removal of both ovaries seemed to place patients at an even greater risk than those who had just one ovary removed.
Experts strongly caution that this information shouldn’t be taken in isolation. For many women, surgical removal of the ovaries is necessary to combat ovarian cancer. But for those patients for whom removal of the ovaries is an elective procedure — that is, when it is performed along with a hysterectomy to eliminate the future risk of ovarian cancer — it may be a good idea to discuss this latest information with your surgeon to judge what is in your best interest.
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5 natural anxiety-busters
Q: What natural relaxers can I take to cope with stress better?
JVW: First, you may want to look at your diet to see if it is too high in refined sugar and carbohydrates. Eliminating refined sugar, white flour, and other highly processed foods from the diet can help the body regulate insulin. This is important because when the body’s blood sugar falls, adrenaline is released to compensate, which in turn, can induce the symptoms of anxiety. Eating smaller, more frequent meals containing a variety of protein and vegetables is a wiser choice, as is staying away from caffeine.
Some natural supplements that are known to have a calming effect are niacinimide and injectable vitamin B12. Both need to be used under a doctor’s supervision in order to have dosages and responsiveness closely monitored. The herbs kava and St. John’s wort can also help alleviate stress and anxiety.
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What is a… hysterectomy?
A hysterectomy is an operation performed to remove the uterus. In some cases, the ovaries are also removed during a hysterectomy, stopping the production of hormones that regulate menstruation. When the ovaries remain after the surgery, they generally continue to produce hormones, although production may be somewhat reduced.
Yours in good health,
Amanda Ross
Managing Editor
Nutrition & Healing
Sources:
“57th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology,” Miami, Florida, April 9- 16, 2005.
