Premature Ovarian Insufficiency - an update on recent advances in understanding and management

Abstract

Premature ovarian insufficiency is a complex and relatively poorly understood entity with a myriad of etiologies and multisystem sequelae that stem from premature deprivation of ovarian sex hormones. Timely diagnosis with a clear understanding of the various comorbidities that can arise from estrogen deficiency is vital to appropriately counsel and treat these patients. Prompt initiation of hormone therapy is critical to control the unsolicited menopausal symptoms that many women experience and to prevent long-term health complications. Despite ongoing efforts at improving our understanding of the mechanisms involved, any advancement in the field in recent decades has been modest at best and researchers remain thwarted by the complexity and heterogeneity of the underpinnings of this entity. In contrast, the practice of clinical medicine has made meaningful strides in providing assurance to the women with premature ovarian insufficiency that their quality of life as well as long-term health can be optimized through timely intervention. Ongoing research is clearly needed to allow pre-emptive identification of the at-risk population and to identify mechanisms that if addressed in a timely manner, can prolong ovarian function and physiology.

Keywords: POI; ovarian physiology; ovarian sex hormones; premature ovarian insufficiency.