title: Normative study of age variation in salivary progesterone profiles.
abstract: Daily luteal progesterone levels were measured for 124 regularly menstruating women, aged 18-44, by radioimmunoassay of steroid levels in saliva. A consistent pattern of age variation in luteal function was found, with the lowest levels of progesterone in the 18-19-year-old and 40-44-year-old groups, the highest values in the 25-34 year olds, and intermediate values in the 20-24 and 35-39-year-old groups. The striking similarity of this pattern of age variation with empirically and theoretically generated curves of apparent fecundability, suggests that age-related changes in ovarian function may underlie observed age variation in fecundability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Lipson
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Ellison
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008183:Luteal Phase / Q000502:physiology; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D010060:Ovulation / Q000502:physiology; D011374:Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D012016:Reference Values; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011374:Progesterone