Elevated day 3 follicle-stimulating hormone in younger women: is gonadotropin stimulation/intrauterine insemination a good option?
OBJECTIVE
The objective of the study was to determine the fecundity of young women (<35 years) with an elevated day 3 follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) undergoing gonadotropin-stimulation/intrauterine insemination.


METHODS
This was a retrospective study. The study was conducted at an academic fertility center. A total of 1396 gonadotropin stimulation/intrauterine insemination cycles from 563 women were stratified by day 3 FSH levels (<10 vs ≥10 U/L) and outcomes were compared. Gonadotropin dose, treatment duration, peak estradiol (E2), number of preovulatory follicles (total, large, and medium size), E2/follicle, endometrial thickness, spontaneous abortion, clinical and multiple pregnancy rates were measured. The statistics included a Student t test, a χ(2), regression, and a discrete survival analysis.


RESULTS
An elevated day 3 FSH was found in 10.2% of the women, despite favorable age (31.9 ± 2.5 years). Women with a day 3 FSH of 10 U/L or greater when compared with women with a normal day 3 level required significantly more medication (1058.9 ± 1106.0 vs 632.7 ± 477.5 IU, P < .0001) were triggered a day earlier (10.6 ± 2.4 vs 11.5 ± 2.9 days, P = .0006) and had E2 levels (on the day of and the day prior to human chorionic gonadotropin administration) that were significantly higher (529.5 ± 244.3 vs 450.0 ± 244.2 and 359.6 ± 141.7 vs 306.8 ± 160.9 pg/mL, respectively, P < .05). Clinical pregnancy rates were comparable among the groups (14.6 vs 14%, respectively, P > .05). Spontaneous abortion and multiple pregnancy rates were higher among women with an FSH of 10U/L or greater but not significantly so (27.8% vs 12.0%, 22.2% vs 13.8% for FSH of ≥10 vs FSH < or >10 U/L, P > .05).


CONCLUSIONS
Women younger than 35 years with an elevated day 3 FSH, when treated aggressively with gonadotropins have pregnancy rates comparable with those of women with a normal baseline FSH. To achieve this outcome, they need higher doses of medication to stimulate the production of a larger preovulatory follicular cohort.
Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Irene
I
Souter
Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Irene
I
Dimitriadis
Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Lina M
LM
Baltagi
Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI.
John D
JD
Meeker
Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
John C
JC
Petrozza
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005300:Fertility Agents, Female / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D007315:Insemination, Artificial; D016014:Linear Models; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010062:Ovulation Induction / Q000379:methods; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D015415:Biomarkers; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D005300:Fertility Agents, Female; C412828:Ovidrel; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone
day 3 follicle stimulating hormone; gonadotropins; infertility; intrauterine insemination; ovulation induction