Individual research recommendation details

Recommendation ID

NG23/5

Question

Premature ovarian insufficiency:- What are the main clinical manifestations of premature ovarian insufficiency and the short- and long-term impact of the most common therapeutic interventions?

Any explanatory notes
(if applicable)

Why this is important:- Women with premature ovarian insufficiency can experience the effects of menopause for most of their adult life. This can lead to reduced quality of life and an increased risk of osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and possibly dementia. There is uncertainty about the diagnosis, time course and management of premature ovarian insufficiency. For example, it is possible that different interventions produce different outcomes in terms of quality of life, and bone,
cardiovascular and brain protection. Combined oral contraceptives are often prescribed when this might not be the best treatment in terms of quality of life and preservation of bone density and cardiovascular health. Short- and long-term outcomes of HRT versus combined hormonal contraceptives in women with premature ovarian insufficiency therefore need to be investigated.
Development of a collaborative premature ovarian insufficiency registry would allow the collection of high-quality demographic, biobank (genomic) and clinical data in order to clarify:
- the diagnosis and presentation of premature ovarian insufficiency

- the impact of therapeutic interventions such as combined hormonal contraceptives, HRT and androgens
- the long-term impact of premature ovarian insufficiency on bone density and fracture, and cardiovascular and cognitive health
- the long-term risk of cancer, which can be determined by linking with relevant cancer and mortality registries.

Source guidance details

Comes from guidance

Menopause: diagnosis and management

Number

NG23

Date issued

November 2015

Other details