title: Pregnancy rates in older poor responders who achieve embryo transfer in long down-regulated ART cycles are comparable to those in younger poor responders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether older women with a poor response to follicular stimulation achieve pregnancy results that are comparable to those of younger poor responders.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred five women undergoing in vitro fertilization treatment at the Fertility Unit in the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, Australia were selected for retrospective cohort analysis. The outcomes in women > 38 years of age with < 5 oocytes retrieved were compared with those in women ≤ 38 years who also had < 5 oocytes retrieved. Clinical and ongoing pregnancy rates were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Implantation rates (21.01 ± 0.38 % vs. 12.82 ± 0.27%, P = 0.11) and clinical pregnancy rates (25.71 ± 0.44% vs. 20.21 ± 0.40%, P = 0.41) were similar in the two groups following cleavage stage embryo transfer. The same was true for blastocyst stage embryo transfer (implantation rates 16.67 ± 0.33% vs. 13.89 ± 0.33%, P = 0.80, and clinical pregnancy rates 23.81 ± 0.44% vs. 16.67 ± 0.38%, P = 0.59). Ongoing pregnancies beyond the 12th week of gestation were also comparable between cleavage stage (24.28 ± 0.43% vs. 16.84 ± 0.34%, P = 0.24) and blastocyst stage embryo transfers (23.81 ± 0.44% vs. 11.11 ± 0.32%, P = 0.32).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  If older poor responders reach the stage of embryo transfer, they can achieve pregnancy rates similar to those of younger poor responders when matched numbers of embryos are transferred.
authors.affiliation: Fertility Unit, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Tevfik
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoldemir
authors.forename: Ian S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Fraser
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D054315:Oocyte Retrieval; D010062:Ovulation Induction; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D012189:Retrospective Studies