INFERTILITY AND LIFESTYLE FACTORS

 By Joseph Hazan,M.D., FACOG

Overweight, smoking, alcohol, drugs,

caffeine, stress are

shown to be related to infertility.

While lifestyle factors alone

do not entirely explain or account

every case of infertility, they are

significant nevertheless.

Stress reduction for instance has

been shown to relate to

normalized levels of GnRh, FSH, LH,

estrogen and progesterone,

blood pressure and improved

pregnancy rates.

Overweight and related increased

levels are associated with

increased testosterone and lack

of ovulation.

Also the elevated levels of insulin

and leptin associated with

overweight lead to increase in LH but

no increase in FSH .

This and elevated androgens will

stimulate unripe follicles

that fail to ovulate.

Positive changes in lifestyle factors

are proven to improve fertility.