In a recent study published in the journal Frontiers of endocrinology, Researchers investigated how lifestyle factors and fertility-specific quality of life (QOL) influence outcomes of assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment.
Research: Lifestyle and fertility-specific quality of life influence reproductive outcomes for couples undergoing IVF. Image credit: Corona Borealis Studio / Shutterstock
background
Infertility affects approximately 48.5 million couples worldwide and has led to an increase in ART treatment, with 2.5 to 3 million cycles performed annually, and nearly 450,000 in Japan alone. One out of every 13.9 babies in Japan is born with her ART, and factors such as age, ovarian reserve, and lifestyle choices such as diet, smoking, exercise, and sleep influence the success of treatment. It is recognized that it gives The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes the need to assess her quality of life, including her fertility-specific quality of life, using tools such as FertiQoL (FertiQoL). However, the relationship between her fertility-specific QOL and her ART outcome requires further research to better understand their complex interactions.
About research
The study focused on infertile couples undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment for the first time in Japan and selected participants based on specific health status and demographic criteria. Participants first learned about their eating habits, modeled after the Mediterranean diet but tailored to Japanese tastes, as well as their physical health as measured by sleep patterns, work habits, computer usage, smoking status, and metabolic equivalence tasks (METs). Lifestyle choices such as activities were explained in detail. . Additionally, we assessed fertility-specific quality of life using the Japanese version of the FertiQoL questionnaire and investigated its impact on treatment outcomes.
This study outlines protocols for controlled ovarian stimulation, clinical laboratory procedures, and embryo transfer (ET), including drug doses and dosing schedules based on individual patient profiles. Selection of high-quality blastocysts for transfer was based on the Gardner classification with a required washout period between stimulation and ET. IVF/microinsemination (ICSI) results are accurate, from hormone levels to fertility, embryo development, and pregnancy confirmation through serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) testing and gestational sac (GS) detection via transvaginal ultrasound. recorded.
Statistical analysis aimed to investigate the relationship between patient demographics, dietary and exercise habits, FertiQoL scores, and IVF outcomes using a multivariable approach to identify important factors. did. This study recruited 286 patients to detect clinically relevant differences in the primary outcome, good-quality blastocyst rate, with comprehensive statistical analysis performed using SAS software. I tried to do that.
research result
From May 2019 to March 2022, 291 women seeking initial IVF treatment at clinics within the IVF Japan Group and the University of Tokyo Hospital were initially included in the study. After excluding those who discontinued treatment, conceived spontaneously, or met exclusion criteria, 281 women underwent controlled ovarian stimulation and oocyte retrieval. Due to various reasons such as lack of fertilization, lack of good quality embryos, and loss to follow-up, the participants who underwent ET were further narrowed down to 260, of which 200 underwent single blastocyst embryo transfer (blast-SET) received. Of these, 139 women had a positive her hCG level indicating pregnancy, and in 121 women a single her GS was detected instead of multiple her GS.
The study looked at the percentage of good quality blastocysts in each egg retrieval and found that women over 36 or with Hashimoto's disease had a significantly lower percentage, while frequent fish consumption also lowered the percentage. It was found that there is a tentative association with a decline in Analysis of all ET cycles showed that older women were less likely to have a positive pregnancy test. In contrast, adequate sleep, computer use, and a nonsmoking partner were associated with higher odds. The likelihood of her GS being detected after ET was higher with olive oil use, prolonged computer use, and body mass index (BMI) of her 20.8 kg/m3.2 or more, and the older you get, the less likely it is.
Explicitly focusing on blast-SET cycles and using a computer for more than 4 hours a day significantly increased the likelihood of a positive pregnancy test and GS detection. Older age tends to reduce the likelihood of a positive pregnancy test, and higher FertiQoL total scale treatment scores and specific BMI thresholds seem to favor GS detection, but there is no conclusive evidence to suggest significance. There is a tendency to seek.
conclusion
In summary, this study investigated the influence of lifestyle, dietary habits, and fertility-specific QoL on ART outcomes in East Asian women. Key findings include the negative effects of older age and Hashimoto's disease on blastocyst quality and the positive association between adequate sleep, computer use, and pregnancy success. Olive oil consumption was found to be beneficial for the detection of gestational sacs, challenging assumptions about the effect of diet on fertility. In particular, smoking in men negatively affected outcomes, highlighting the importance of lifestyle factors in reproductive success.