If you have been involved in a fertility journey, then you have heard about AMH. If you are new to the fertility world, I am going to discuss the importance of this hormone and what it means when it comes to investigations for infertility.
AMH (anti-mullerian hormone) plays a significant role in the development of reproductive hormones in both men and women during development, and in adult women plays a role in folliculogenesis (the maturation of the ovarian follicle) (1).
The main clinical application of AMH testing in the context of infertility is to assess ovarian reserve (number of eggs), premature ovarian failure (POF- premature menopause), polycystic ovarian syndrome and menopause (1). AMH testing can also be used to predict the likelihood of IVF success (1).
AMH gradually increases in girls from the first day of life, reaching its maximum levels around the age of 25, and decreasing until they reach levels below detectable limits which is found in postmenopausal women (1).
Wondering what your AMH levels mean?
Well to put it simply -the higher the AMH level, the higher the number of eggs.
Additional measures of ovarian reserve
In addition to AMH measurement, some other testing that can assess your ovarian reserve includes :
- FSH- measured on the 3rd day of your menstrual cycle.
- Estradiol- measured on the 3rd day of your menstrual cycle
- Ultrasound- this can be used to determine the number of antral follicles
The THYROID gland and AMH
The thyroid gland is your metabolism master, and plays roles in almost every tissue of the body. Thyroid dysfunction is very clearly associated with fertility concerns, and a high thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is associated with a diminished ovarian reserve (2).
One study measured levels of serum thyroid-related hormones and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) in infertile women. Women with thyroid abnormalities were given levothyroxine (synthroid) for treatment. Results measured AMH levels after treatment, and found that AMH levels increased significantly in the patients who had positive thyroid antibodies (2).
So what can you do?
- Get the proper testing done to determine the root cause of any abnormalities
- Get the proper treatment interventions based on this testing
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References
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5509971/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29297967/?from_term=AMH&from_filter=subject.cam%2Cspecies.humans&from_page=2&from_pos=8
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4764725/
