Stress relief to augment fertility: the pressure mounts

Catherino, William H.

doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2011.05.067

Cited by 16 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 36 publications

(53 reference statements)

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“…Stress is defined as a physical, mental, or emotional response to events that cause bodily or mental tension experienced when transactions with the environment exceed the individual capacity of coping (Catherino, 2011;Collins et al, 1992). The success of IVF treatment unquestionably depends on numerous biological variables, including the cause of infertility, maternal age, protocol used, number of oocytes retrieved and fertilized, and embryo quality.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A prospective study using Hatha Yoga for stress reduction among women waiting for IVF treatment

Oron

Allnutt

Lackman

et al. 2015

Reproductive BioMedicine Online

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Yoga has been found to be effective in treating anxiety and depression, reducing stress and improving the overall quality of life in the general population. Minimal research is available on the effect of stress-management programmes with IVF patients. Owing to the diversity of conditions treated, the poor quality of most studies, and the different assessment tools used to evaluate the psychological state, it is difficult to draw definite conclusions. Previous studies have used different mind-body interventions and general measures of stress without evaluation of specific stresses known to result from infertility and its treatment using standardized measures. In this single-centre study, 49 infertile women were recruited to participate in a 6-week Yoga class during 2013 while awaiting their IVF treatment. Study participants were asked to complete standardized questionnaires assessing fertility-related quality of life (FertiQoL), marital harmony (Dyadic Adjustment Scale [DAS]), state and trait anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory [STAI]) and depression (Beck Depression Inventory [BDI]) before commencing and after completing the Yoga workshops. Anxiety, depression and fertility-specific quality of life showed improvement over time in association with participation in a 6-week Yoga programme in women awaiting their treatment with IVF.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A prospective study using Hatha Yoga for stress reduction among women waiting for IVF treatment

Oron

Allnutt

Lackman

et al. 2015

Reproductive BioMedicine Online

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Significant physical or psychological stress, such as anorexia nervosa, alters reproductive function, but the evidence regarding the effects of moderate stress is mixed [80]. Louis et al studied the effects of stress on infertile couples by measuring salivary α- amylase, which has been found to increase during stressful stimuli.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of lifestyle modifications, diet, and vitamin supplementation on natural fertility

Collins

Rossi

2015

Fertil Res and Pract

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BackgroundInfertility is a relatively common condition. When patients are confronted with this diagnosis, there are medical, psychological, and financial sequelae. Patients often wonder if there is anything they can do to optimize their natural fertility or increase the effectiveness of infertility treatments.FindingsIf there is a clear impact on fertility, such as with smoking and alcohol, cessation should be advised. Similarly, weight loss should be recommended if the BMI is in the overweight and obese category, and weight gain should be recommended for an underweight BMI. The evidence surrounding other lifestyle modifications is less clear. There are conflicting data regarding an optimal fertility diet and consumption of vitamins and supplements. Antioxidants seem to improve semen parameters in men, but the effect on female fertility is less clear. If conflicting evidence exists, such as with caffeine consumption or exercise, moderation should be emphasized. Finally, the diagnosis of infertility and subsequent fertility treatments are stressful for both partners. The psychological aspects should not be ignored and methods such as yoga and cognitive behavioral therapy may be beneficial.ConclusionContinued research will determine the optimal lifestyle modifications to achieve pregnancy.

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“…Within the context of in vitro fertilization, stress has been associated with reduced chances of achieving a successful pregnancy (Bleil et al, 2012; Ebbesen et al, 2009; Lynch, Sundaram, Maisog, Sweeney, & Buck Louis, 2014), and incorporating stress reduction interventions may improve fertility outcomes (Catherino, 2011). However, the majority of studies examining this association have been in infertile populations undergoing assistive reproductive treatments, and for this reason, it is unclear whether stress is a biobehavioral risk factor for the development of infertility, or secondary to an infertility diagnosis.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anti-Müllerian Hormone Levels and Urinary Cortisol in Women With Chronic Abdominal Pain

Hardy¹,

McCarthy²,

Fourie³

et al. 2016

Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing

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Objective To explore the association of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity with ovarian functioning in women with and without chronic abdominal pain (CAP). Design and Setting A secondary data analysis was performed using data from female participants in a natural history protocol at the National Institutes of Health. Participants A total of 36 women (19 – 39 years, mean 27.11) were included in the study. Methods This pilot study was conducted using a subset of participants enrolled in a natural history protocol conducted in the Hatfield Clinical Research Center at the National Institutes of Health. The parent study included participants with and without CAP who provided a five hour urine sample for determination of cortisol levels and serum samples for determination of circulating levels of cortisol, luteinizing hormone, and follicle stimulating hormone. Chronic abdominal pain was defined as presence or absence of chronic pain for ≥ 6 months and was determined via self-report. Results Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) concentrations declined significantly with age as expected. When AMH levels were dichotomized as normal or abnormal (defined as higher or lower than age-specific normative ranges), there were significant associations between abnormal AMH levels and CAP and urine cortisol levels. Subjects with CAP or low urine cortisol levels were significantly more likely to have abnormal AMH levels. Conclusion Results suggest that chronic abdominal pain and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal dysregulation may be associated with abnormal AMH levels.

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Stress relief to augment fertility: the pressure mounts

Cited by 16 publications

References 36 publications

A prospective study using Hatha Yoga for stress reduction among women waiting for IVF treatment

A prospective study using Hatha Yoga for stress reduction among women waiting for IVF treatment

The impact of lifestyle modifications, diet, and vitamin supplementation on natural fertility

Anti-Müllerian Hormone Levels and Urinary Cortisol in Women With Chronic Abdominal Pain

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