AMH?
It is worth looking more closely at one test which, in the case of women, can say a lot about their health condition. We talk here about the important indicator of female fertility, namely the AMH test. The Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) allows to determine the woman’s reproductive potential and check how much time she still have for enlarging her family. It is also useful in in vitro fertilisation programmes – on the basis of its results the doctors determine the method of the patient’s hormone stimulation.
AMH is useful in infertility diagnostic testing
AMH is produced by the cells surrounding the ova in ovarian follicles. The number of egg cells, which is called the ovarian reserve, is set already when a baby girl is born, and amounts to ca 400 thousand. Over time, together with subsequent menstrual cycles this number decreases, and the level of the Anti-Müllerian Hormone decreases as well. This is why the low values of AMH become the reliable indicator of the decrease in fertility and the premature ovarian failure. The test results can be also the basis for suspecting the presence of other diseases – in women with the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCO) the AMH level is significantly higher.
Woman’s age and fertility
A woman’s fertility starts to decline from the age of 30, and the risk of failure to get pregnant within a year of trying increases from 5% in women aged 20+ to 30% in ladies after 35. A woman’s age and her ovarian reserve affect the quality of the egg cells; however, at the same time they don’t show close correlation with this quality. An appropriate indicator prognosing the possibility of getting pregnant is indispensable for estimating the chances of a couple with confirmed infertility for successful treatment. If you have decided on in vitro fertilisation, AMH level will be a significant information for the doctor in the process of preparations to the program. In the case of some couples it will be possible to approach the in vitro fertilisation using the natural cycle, and for others it will be necessary to introduce a medication therapy at the appropriate dose; to some couples the doctor will suggest the IVF program with donor eggs.
Based on the AMH test results the doctor will set the optimal course of action and determine what treatment method is the most appropriate in your individual case – this is why the reliability and credibility of the test is of key importance. The AMH test can be taken on any day of the cycle and the woman doesn’t have to fast before. You will have to wait for the results for approximately 2 weeks.
See what Professor Krzysztof Łukaszuk PhD, MD, Chief of INVICTA Fertility Clinics, says about the usefulness of the AMH test.
