Menstrual cycle length is an age-independent marker of female fertility: results from 6271 treatment cycles of in vitro fertilization
Received 26 February 2007; received in revised form 14 September 2007; accepted 14 September 2007. published online 21 December 2007.
Objective
To investigate whether menstrual cycle length correlates with success rates at IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and could be used as a marker of ovarian reserve.
Design
Prospective observational study.
Setting
Private infertility centre.
Patient(s)
A total of 6271 IVF/ICSI treatment cycles.
Intervention(s)
Self-reported mean number of menstrual days during the last year was recorded before initiation of IVF/ICSI treatment.
Main Outcome Measure(s)
Relations between menstrual cycle length and pregnancy and delivery rates.
Result(s)
Increasing age was associated with a subtle shortening of mean menstrual cycle length. Menstrual cycle length correlated linearly with pregnancy and delivery rates, even after age adjustment. The chance of delivery after IVF/ICSI was almost doubled for women with a menstrual cycle length >34 days compared with women with a menstrual cycle length <26 days. Menstrual cycle length was also significantly associated with ovarian response to FSH/hMG stimulation and embryo quality.
Conclusion(s)
Mean menstrual cycle length is highly related to success rates in assisted reproduction, independently of age. A precise menstrual cycle history could be used as a simple marker of ovarian reserve.
ABSTRACT