Removing Ovaries Increases Risk of Bone Thinning and Heart Diseases: Study

Removal of ovaries among menopausal women increases risk of bone loss and cardiovascular disease, according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of Southern California's Keck School of medicine investigated the effects of Oophorectomy or removal of ovaries on loss of bone mineral density (BMD) and rate of thickening of arteries among 222 healthy post-menopausal women from Los Angeles.

The study used the data from a trial conducted between April 2004 and March 2009. The participants' BMD were scanned at the beginning of the trial and annually. They also underwent biannual ultrasound scans to record caritoid artery intimia-media thickness (CIMT) or thickness of walls in the artery.

Among women who were 10 years post their menopause, the CIMT process was greater for those who had undergone oophorectomy. Women who were 5-10 years post-menopause, the BMD loss was slower among participants whose ovaries were intact and those without ovaries experienced significant loss.

The researchers said that osteoporosis or loss of bone density and atherosclerosis are common among women in older ages or after menopause. The loss of ovarian function associated with menopause brings a gradual decline in estrogen levels. It therefore, does not provide any protective influence on bone and cardiovascular health. Surgically removing ovaries might cause sudden and abrupt changes in hormone levels triggering various health risks for women.

 Dr Rebecca Sokol, the acting president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine said in the press statement, "Most women in the United States having a hysterectomy have their ovaries removed as well as their uterus, even those who do not have increased risk of breast or ovarian cancer. As we learn more about the protective effects the ovaries may exert on bone and cardiovascular health after menopause, this practice could be reconsidered."           

The study urges women to retain ovaries after menopause, so that they can benefit from the residual ovarian functions. This also helps ward off the risks of breast cancer and mortality.

The study is published in the journal Fertility and Sterility.