People who are in search of a baby and dare to start an assisted reproduction treatment, usually require undergoing several different studies to find an accurate fertility diagnosis to begin their process.
One of the leading causes of infertility in women is advanced maternal age, usually, attempting to conceive after age 35 and later can prove to be more difficult. For this reason, most specialists recommend fertility tests with the purpose of identifying the ovarian reserve condition of each patient.
One of the key indicators is the Anti-Müllerian Hormone Test (AMH), which helps determine the number of eggs a woman can produce, but not their quality.
Dr. Anne Steiner, a specialist in gynecology and fertility treatment at the Duke Fertility Centre in North Carolina, conducted a study with her colleagues that sought to determine whether hormone levels could indeed assess a woman’s fertility, regardless of her age.
The team of researchers found out that these readings had no value in predicting pregnancy in the subsequent year after carrying out the test. Now, in a follow-up to the original investigation, just published by Dr. Steiner, titled: Fertility and Sterility, results show that they have no longer-term predictive power, either. Their upshot as a study team was that hormone levels were unrelated to pregnancy in the 12-month period during which the researchers carried out this study.
Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) is produced by small follicles in the ovaries, the same follicles in which the eggs develop and mature before entering the ovulation cycle, however, not all follicles will contribute to the production of this hormone, given the fact that thousands of follicles will be in different stages of development at the same time.
Therefore, AMH may serve as a useful indicator of ovarian reserve levels for future fertility cycles, nevertheless, this is not a stand-alone indicator to rely on. Secondary factors, such as conditions like PCOS and other conditions may be relevant when interpreting a diagnosis.
In some cases, AMH levels may be too low to detect, but don’t be discouraged, this is not a definitive factor in determining whether you’ll be able to conceive or not. AMH measuring methods have greatly improved over the last decade and there is still plenty of potential for research.
When starting an assisted reproduction treatment, it is necessary to perform multiple studies to determine the exact causes of infertility. AMH testing is one of the many studies recommended, however, it is always advisable to complement it with a complete set of studies.
At Ingenes we can help you! If you would like to have a consultation with one of our fertility specialists to get an accurate and updated diagnosis and find out what may be preventing you from having a baby, tell us about yourself by clicking on this link and we will be happy to help you.
