News | New Study Examines Lifestyle Factors Associated with IVF Success
A recent study published in Frontiers in Endocrinology examined how lifestyle factors and fertility-specific quality of life (QOL) affect outcomes of assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment.
Background
Infertility affects about 48.5 million couples worldwide, increasing demand for ART. Between 2.5 million and 3 million cycles are performed globally each year, including nearly 450,000 in Japan. One in every 13.9 babies in Japan is born through ART. Age, ovarian reserve, and lifestyle choices such as diet, smoking, exercise, and sleep are widely recognized as factors affecting treatment success. The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes the need to assess QOL using the Fertility Quality of Life tool (FertiQoL). However, the relationship between fertility-specific QOL and ART outcomes requires further study to better understand their complex interaction.
Study Overview
The study focused on couples with infertility undergoing their first in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. Participants were selected according to specific health and demographic criteria. They recorded lifestyle factors including diet, sleep patterns, work habits, computer use, smoking status, and physical activity. The FertiQoL questionnaire was also used to assess fertility-specific QOL and examine its effect on treatment outcomes.
The study described protocols for controlled ovarian stimulation, laboratory procedures, and embryo transfer (ET), including medication doses and schedules tailored to each patient. High-quality blastocysts were selected for transfer using the Gardner grading system, with a washout period required between stimulation and ET. IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcomes were recorded precisely, from hormone levels, fertilization, and embryo development to pregnancy confirmation through serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) testing and detection of a gestational sac (GS) by transvaginal ultrasound.
Results
From May 2019 to March 2022, 291 women initially considered for their first IVF treatment at IVF Japan Group and the University of Tokyo Hospital entered the study. After excluding participants who discontinued treatment, conceived spontaneously, or met exclusion criteria, 281 underwent controlled ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval. Further exclusions for reasons including failed fertilization, no high-quality embryos, and loss to follow-up left 260 participants who received ET; 200 underwent single blastocyst transfer (blast-SET). Among them, 139 women had positive hCG results indicating pregnancy, and a single GS was detected in 121, with no multiple pregnancies.
Women over age 36 or with Hashimoto's disease had significantly lower rates of high-quality blastocysts, while frequent fish consumption was also associated with a downward trend. Analysis of all ET cycles showed that older women were less likely to have a positive pregnancy test. By contrast, adequate sleep, computer use, and having a nonsmoking partner were associated with higher pregnancy rates. A GS after ET was more likely to be detected among women who used olive oil, spent longer periods using a computer, and had a body mass index (BMI) of at least 20.8 kg/m², while older age reduced this probability.
In blast-SET cycles, computer use of four or more hours per day was associated with significantly higher odds of a positive pregnancy test and GS detection. Older women were less likely to have a positive pregnancy test. Higher total FertiQoL scores and a particular BMI threshold appeared favorable for GS detection, but these findings represented trends rather than conclusive evidence.
Conclusion
This study examined the effects of lifestyle, diet, and fertility-specific QOL on ART outcomes among East Asian women. Key findings included negative associations of older age and Hashimoto's disease with blastocyst quality and positive associations of adequate sleep, computer use, and olive oil intake with pregnancy success. The negative association of male smoking with outcomes also highlighted the importance of lifestyle factors in reproductive success.
News | New Study Examines Lifestyle Factors Associated with IVF Success
News | New Study Examines Lifestyle Factors Associated with IVF Success
A recent study published in Frontiers in Endocrinology examined how lifestyle factors and fertility-specific quality of life (QOL) affect outcomes of assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment.
Background
Infertility affects about 48.5 million couples worldwide, increasing demand for ART. Between 2.5 million and 3 million cycles are performed globally each year, including nearly 450,000 in Japan. One in every 13.9 babies in Japan is born through ART. Age, ovarian reserve, and lifestyle choices such as diet, smoking, exercise, and sleep are widely recognized as factors affecting treatment success. The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes the need to assess QOL using the Fertility Quality of Life tool (FertiQoL). However, the relationship between fertility-specific QOL and ART outcomes requires further study to better understand their complex interaction.
Study Overview
The study focused on couples with infertility undergoing their first in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. Participants were selected according to specific health and demographic criteria. They recorded lifestyle factors including diet, sleep patterns, work habits, computer use, smoking status, and physical activity. The FertiQoL questionnaire was also used to assess fertility-specific QOL and examine its effect on treatment outcomes.
The study described protocols for controlled ovarian stimulation, laboratory procedures, and embryo transfer (ET), including medication doses and schedules tailored to each patient. High-quality blastocysts were selected for transfer using the Gardner grading system, with a washout period required between stimulation and ET. IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcomes were recorded precisely, from hormone levels, fertilization, and embryo development to pregnancy confirmation through serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) testing and detection of a gestational sac (GS) by transvaginal ultrasound.
Results
From May 2019 to March 2022, 291 women initially considered for their first IVF treatment at IVF Japan Group and the University of Tokyo Hospital entered the study. After excluding participants who discontinued treatment, conceived spontaneously, or met exclusion criteria, 281 underwent controlled ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval. Further exclusions for reasons including failed fertilization, no high-quality embryos, and loss to follow-up left 260 participants who received ET; 200 underwent single blastocyst transfer (blast-SET). Among them, 139 women had positive hCG results indicating pregnancy, and a single GS was detected in 121, with no multiple pregnancies.
Women over age 36 or with Hashimoto's disease had significantly lower rates of high-quality blastocysts, while frequent fish consumption was also associated with a downward trend. Analysis of all ET cycles showed that older women were less likely to have a positive pregnancy test. By contrast, adequate sleep, computer use, and having a nonsmoking partner were associated with higher pregnancy rates. A GS after ET was more likely to be detected among women who used olive oil, spent longer periods using a computer, and had a body mass index (BMI) of at least 20.8 kg/m², while older age reduced this probability.
In blast-SET cycles, computer use of four or more hours per day was associated with significantly higher odds of a positive pregnancy test and GS detection. Older women were less likely to have a positive pregnancy test. Higher total FertiQoL scores and a particular BMI threshold appeared favorable for GS detection, but these findings represented trends rather than conclusive evidence.
Conclusion
This study examined the effects of lifestyle, diet, and fertility-specific QOL on ART outcomes among East Asian women. Key findings included negative associations of older age and Hashimoto's disease with blastocyst quality and positive associations of adequate sleep, computer use, and olive oil intake with pregnancy success. The negative association of male smoking with outcomes also highlighted the importance of lifestyle factors in reproductive success.
References:
Collected online