What Ovaries Reveal About Ageing — Also in Men
Laura Chrobok 10.07.2026
Why do some people age faster than others? Why do some remain healthy well into old age, while others develop age-related conditions comparatively early in life? Despite decades of research, there is still no complete answer to these questions. Surprisingly, scientists are increasingly focusing their attention on an organ that was long associated almost exclusively with fertility and menopause: the ovaries.
In today’s article, you will learn why ovarian ageing has become one of the most exciting fields of research in longevity medicine, which biological mechanisms are thought to underlie this process and why these findings may also be relevant to men.
Why Is Ovarian Ageing of Particular Interest to Ageing Research?
It is well known that fertility declines with increasing age. In recent years, however, it has become apparent that ovarian ageing may also be important far beyond reproductive medicine.
Girls are born with their lifetime “supply” of egg cells (oocytes). Throughout life, this supply gradually declines, no new egg cells are produced, the quality of the remaining ones also deteriorates with age. As a result, the ovary loses its function considerably earlier than many other organs.
It is precisely this comparatively early ageing that makes ovaries so interesting for ageing research. Current review articles show that ageing ovaries undergo numerous biological changes that are also regarded as hallmarks of the general ageing process.
These include:
· mitochondrial dysfunction
· oxidative stress
· chronic inflammation
· the accumulation of so-called senescent cells (aged cells that no longer divide but are also not eliminated by the body and may promote chronic inflammatory processes).
According to current knowledge, it remains unclear whether ovarian ageing itself influences the ageing of other organs or whether it is simply an especially early manifestation of the same underlying biological mechanisms. However, because fundamental ageing processes can be studied particularly well in the ovaries, they are now regarded as a promising model organ for ageing research (Wu et al., 2025; Liu et al., 2025; Hirano et al., 2025).
Ovarian ageing is characterised by changes in mitochondrial function, gene regulation and cell-to-cell communication — processes that are also observed in many other ageing tissues (López-Otín et al., 2023; Wu et al., 2025).
Why May Ovarian Ageing Affect More Than Fertility?
Recent experimental studies suggest that ovarian ageing is closely linked to changes in the immune system. It has recently been observed that, with increasing age, the composition of immune cells within the ovaries changes and inflammatory processes become more pronounced. These changes may contribute to so-called “inflammaging” — a state of chronic, low-grade inflammation that is regarded as one of the hallmarks of biological ageing. Whether the ovaries actively drive these processes or are themselves simply part of the general ageing process has not yet been conclusively established (Galligos et al., 2026; Zhu et al., 2025).
Observational studies already show, however, that women with premature ovarian insufficiency or early menopause are more likely to develop
· cardiovascular disease
· osteoporosis
· metabolic disorders
than women whose ovarian function is preserved for a longer period of time (Faubion et al., 2015).
Furthermore, early menopause has been associated with an increased risk of
· cognitive impairment
· dementia
(Rocca et al., 2009).
These associations do not automatically mean that ovarian ageing is the cause of these diseases. It is equally possible that all of these changes are driven by a common biological ageing process. At present, this question remains unanswered (Hirano et al., 2025; Liu et al., 2025).
Why Could This Research Also Be Important for Men?
At first glance, ovarian ageing appears to be an exclusively female topic. In reality, however, researchers in longevity medicine, endocrinology and molecular biology are now devoting considerable attention to this field.
Many of the observed processes are regarded as fundamental characteristics of biological ageing and are also being investigated in the male reproductive system as well as in numerous other organs (López-Otín et al., 2023; Wu et al., 2025).
By studying ovarian ageing, researchers hope to gain a better understanding of biological mechanisms that may contribute to the ageing of cells and organs regardless of sex.
Conclusion: How Research on Ovaries May Change Medicine
Research in this field is still at a comparatively early stage. Many of the associations currently being discussed are based on experimental studies, observational studies or recent review articles. Accordingly, researchers remain cautious in drawing their conclusions.
Nevertheless, it is already well established that the ovary ages considerably earlier than many other organs and undergoes numerous biological changes that are also characteristic of the general ageing process.
Whether these findings will eventually lead to new opportunities for detecting age-related diseases earlier — or even for influencing them in a targeted manner — cannot yet be answered. What is already clear, however, is that ovarian ageing has become an important field of research extending far beyond reproductive medicine and is likely to gain even greater significance in the years ahead.
FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions About Ovarian Ageing
1. Why are egg cells not continuously produced like sperm?
Female newborns are born with their lifetime “supply” of egg cells. This supply gradually declines over the course of life. Men, by contrast, continuously produce new sperm from stem cells. Why these different reproductive strategies evolved over the course of evolution remains incompletely understood to this day.
2. Is early menopause hereditary?
Yes, at least in part. Studies show that genetic factors have a substantial influence on the age at which menopause occurs. Certain genetic variants involved in the repair of DNA damage have also been associated with more rapid ovarian ageing. Nevertheless, environmental and lifestyle factors also play a role.
3. Can women still conceive naturally despite having low ovarian reserves?
Yes, diminished ovarian reserves do not necessarily mean infertility, although fewer eggs remain available. Whether pregnancies occur also depends on the quality of the remaining eggs and a range of other individual factors ab.
4. Why are ovarian reserves of particular interest to fertility specialists?
Ovarian reserves provide an indication of how many eggs are likely to remain in the ovaries. Among other things, it helps physicians estimate how women may respond to fertility treatments. However, ovarian reserves alone cannot determine egg quality or predict an individual's chance of becoming pregnant.
5. Are there already treatments capable of slowing or stopping ovarian ageing?
No, at present, there is no scientifically established treatment that has been shown to stop or reverse the natural ageing process of the ovaries.
6. Can chemotherapy or other medical treatments permanently damage the ovaries?
Yes, certain chemotherapy drugs and radiotherapy involving the pelvic region can permanently reduce ovarian reserve and increase the risk of premature ovarian insufficiency. For this reason, particularly younger women are often advised to undergo fertility-preservation counselling before starting cancer treatment.
Further information on ageing — and, of course, many other topics — can be found not only on our blog, but also in our “Medizinskandale” book series and the “Codex Humanus” — the fifth volume of which was recently published. Feel free to visit our online shop.
Sources:
· Wu, C. et al. (2025): “Hallmarks of Ovarian Aging,” Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism.
· Liu, X. et al. (2025): “Ovarian Aging: Mechanisms, Age-Related Disorders, and Interventions,” MedComm.
· Hirano, M. et al. (2025): “Ovarian Aging: Pathophysiology and Recent Developments in Maintaining Ovarian Reserve,” Frontiers in Endocrinology.
· López-Otín, C. et al. (2023 “Hallmarks of Aging: An Expanding Universe,” Cell.
· Faubion, S. S. et al. (2015): “Long-term Health Consequences of Premature or Early Menopause and Considerations for Management,” Climacteric.
· Galligos, A. et al. (2026): “Multicellular Origins of Murine Ovarian Inflammaging,” Communications Biology.
· Zhu, Y. et al. (2025): “Ovarian Remodeling and Aging-Related Chronic Inflammation and Fibrosis in the Mammalian Ovary,” Journal of Ovarian Research
· Rocca, W. A. et al. (2009): “Long-Term Effects of Bilateral Oophorectomy on Brain Aging: Unanswered Questions from the Mayo Clinic Cohort Study of Oophorectomy and Aging,” Women's Health.