title: A low number of retrieved oocytes at in vitro fertilization treatment is predictive of early menopause.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether women with a low number of retrieved oocytes at the first in vitro fertilization (IVF) attempt have an increased risk of early menopause.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nested case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve IVF clinics in the Netherlands.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women participating in a nationwide Dutch cohort study (OMEGA) of ovarian stimulation for IVF and subsequent gynecologic diseases (n = 26,428). Each patient who experienced natural menopause at or before 46 years (n = 38) was individually matched to five controls (n = 190) who had not yet entered menopause at the age the patient became postmenopausal.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  Relative risk of reaching natural menopause at an early age (</=46 years), according to the number of retrieved oocytes at the first IVF attempt.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women with a poor response (zero to three oocytes) had a relative risk of 11.6 (95% confidence interval: 3.9-34.7) of having an early menopause as compared with women who have a normal response (> three oocytes). Women who were stimulated with gonadotropins during IVF treatment but did not undergo an IVF puncture because of an anticipated poor response (canceled IVF cycle) had a relative risk of 8.3 (95% confidence interval: 2.9-23.9).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that women with a low number of retrieved oocytes at the first IVF treatment are more likely to become postmenopausal at an early age than women with a higher number of retrieved oocytes. Our study is the first longitudinal study to provide strong evidence for the quantitative aspect of the ovarian concept of reproductive aging.
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Evelien J
authors: EJ
authors: de Boer
authors: Isolde
authors: I
authors: den Tonkelaar
authors: Egbert R
authors: ER
authors: te Velde
authors: Curt W
authors: CW
authors: Burger
authors: Helen
authors: H
authors: Klip
authors: Flora E
authors: FE
authors: van Leeuwen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002452:Cell Count; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D010062:Ovulation Induction; D011379:Prognosis; D012306:Risk; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting; D017211:Treatment Failure