One in three premenopausal British women want interventions to delay menopause and extend fertility

YouGov survey supports think tank's call for radical rethink of how we address fertility and the menopause.

LONDON, Sept. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Researchers from think tank First Longevity today published a new report on ovarian aging, calling for greater investment and research into science and technology to extend fertility and delay the menopause.

As part of the report, the researchers conducted a YouGov study of more than 1,000 women in the UK, which revealed that 32% of those aged 18-44 would take an intervention (a drug or other form of treatment) if it would delay their menopause and extend their fertility. Based on figures from the Office for National Statistics, this is equivalent to 3.6 million women in the UK.

Women's life expectancy has increased by as much 30 years since 1900, but the onset of menopause has only been pushed back by four years. Ovaries are one of the earliest-aging organs in the body and drive the subsequent aging of multiple organs in women's bodies.

During menopause, the loss of estrogen due to ovarian failure increases several health risks for women including cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and Alzheimer's. The NHS Long Term Plan states that British women may live up to 34% of their lives in poor health, which leads to significant societal and economic impacts.

With relatively little investment and few companies working in this field, the purpose of First Longevity's report is to galvanise the scientific and investment communities to do more to address this challenge. The report also highlights therapies and solutions that are ready to be developed.

"The science and research into ovarian aging has grown massively in the past five years, but very few companies are actively engaged in developing interventions," said First Longevity researcher and report author Daragh Campbell. "Discoveries are being made all over the world that need to be taken-on by investors and those who can translate the science into safe and effective products. Discovering the processes involved in ovarian aging, and how to target them, will be a massive breakthrough for female healthspan and lifespan."

The report identifies potential interventions to delay menopause and increase healthspan for women – consequently increasing the size of the child-bearing window, and improving national fertility rates. 

"Some of these interventions have been tested in animal models, but very few have gone through clinical trials in humans, so we must be clear that most are not available to women today, but there is a growing bank of scientific evidence to support further research and development into their potential," said Campbell. "There needs to be a push for investment into the scientific discovery and development of methods that can help prevent the ovarian aging process."

For the full press release, with more quotes and additional information, visit: https://www.firstlongevity.com/blog/ovarianlongevity 

NOTES FOR EDITORS

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2063 adults, out of which 1062 were female. Fieldwork was undertaken between 19th - 20th August 2021. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).

Download media pack containing the public report, infographics and photos.

(Media can also request access to the paid professional report, containing more detailed information and analysis.)