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The relationship between anti-Müllerian hormone serum level and body mass index in a large cohort of infertile patients

Endocrine volume 63, pages 157–163 (2019)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate the relationship between serum Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) level and body mass index (BMI) in infertile patients.

Methods

Medical records of patients with infertility evaluated between January 2013 and February 2018 in the Reproductive Medicine Department of a private hospital were reviewed. Patients with the following criteria were excluded from the study: polycystic ovary syndrome, primary ovarian insufficiency, AMH values > 10 ng/mL, current oral contraceptive users and previous ovarian surgery or endometriosis, and anovulation of other causes, except decreased ovarian reserve.

Results

A total of 2204 infertile patients were included (mean age 34.58 ± 4.3 years, mean BMI 22.35 ± 3.6 kg/m2, and mean serum AMH 2.44 ± 2.17 ng/ml). In the entire group of patients, serum AMH level was positively correlated with BMI after adjustment for age (beta = 0.059, p < 0.005). When the association between serum AMH level and BMI was analysed in subgroups of patients, after adjustment for age, we found a positive correlation between the two parameters in patients ≤ 35 years old (< 0.05), of normal weight (p < 0.05) and with normal ovarian reserve (p < 0.05). After adjustment for age, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 was significantly associated with higher AMH values in comparison to normal weight patients.

Conclusions

In infertile patients, AMH is positively correlated with BMI, especially in patients younger than 35 years, of normal weight and with normal ovarian reserve. Moreover, the presence of mild excess adiposity seems to be associated with higher AMH values. Our data contradict the previous studies showing a negative impact of excess adiposity on AMH serum levels.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to all of the staff working in the Maternal-foetal and Reproductive Medicine Department of Medlife

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Author notes

    Affiliations

    1. “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania

      Dragos Albu & Alice Albu

    2. Maternal-foetal and Reproductive Medicine Department, Medlife, Calea Grivitei 365, Bucharest, Romania

      Dragos Albu & Alice Albu

    3. Endocrinology and Diabetes Department, Elias Hospital, 17 Marasti Street, Bucharest, Romania

      Alice Albu

    Authors
    1. Dragos Albu
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    2. Alice Albu
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    Corresponding author

    Correspondence to Alice Albu.

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    Conflict of interest

    D.A. has received travel grants from Merck, Merck Sharp & Dohme and Ferring Pharmaceuticals. A.A. has received travel grants from Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer and a speaker honourarium from Sandoz Pharma Services.

    Ethical approval

    All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

    Additional information

    These authors contributed equally: Dragos Albu, Alice Albu

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    Cite this article

    Albu, D., Albu, A. The relationship between anti-Müllerian hormone serum level and body mass index in a large cohort of infertile patients. Endocrine 63, 157–163 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-018-1756-4

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-018-1756-4

    Keywords

    • Anti-Müllerian hormone
    • Body mass index
    • Infertility
    • Obesity
    • Adiposity