Have you Heard of Hormone Anti-Mullerian Hormone Test?
These days there is lots of hype about Anti-Müllerian Hormone or AMH test. But, is it really important to get it measured to predict fertility? Why still many doctors do not include it or consider it necessary indicator of conception chances?
What Is Anti-Mullerian Hormone
The ovarian follicles or developing egg sacs release AMH. The level of AMH can tell how much egg is left. The level of anti-mullerian hormone in the blood is high when the eggs are more. On the other hand, if you are left with very fewer eggs, the level of AMH in the blood is also low.
In general, AMH level in the blood remains fairly constant and can be tested on any day of ovarian cycle.Females suffering from polycystic ovarian syndrome with small follicles have high AMH hormone value and females with few remaining follicle who are close to menopause have low level of AMH.
It is Believed that AMH can be an indication of:
• Measures ovarian reserve,
• Chances to get pregnant
This may sound great but is seriously is it needed?
Anti-mullerian hormone and fertility
Recent studies show that low level of AMH alone cannot predict the chance of a female to get pregnant within the first year of trying to conceive. Females who age between age 30-40 even with a low level of AMH have almost similar chances of conception in comparison to females with normal levels of AMH.
But, yes females who are considering IVF for them getting anti-mullerian test can be helpful. Many fertility experts measure the level of AMH at the start of the IVF journey. If the level of AMH is high, it is likely that healthy eggs will be harvested.
Thus, testing anti-mullerian hormone level may not be helpful in predicting the chances of conception but may be useful if you are considering IVF.
Anti-mullerian hormone and miscarriage
Research shows that a deficient level of AMH is associated with a high risk of miscarriage. However, this finding is based on a single small study, and we need more research to confirm the results and to investigate the link between increased risk of miscarriage and AMH.
AMH and Egg freezing
If you don’t want to get pregnant but may plan in future, you can be consider freezing your eggs. In one normal cycle, only one egg is released but mostly females who want to harvest eggs aims to harvest at least 12-15 eggs. This means ovaries need to be hyperstimulated, and the level of AMH can predict the number of eggs to be harvested.
Therefore, as you can see AMH test is not reliable in predicting pregnancy chances and the only test that can reliably tell that you are releasing eggs is to measure your follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) levels. But, yes AMH test may be worth in certain situations such as when considering IVF so consult your gynaecologist for the same.
Dr. Ritu Kumari Gupta: Professionally a homeopathic doctor and a dietician Dr. Ritu Kumari Gupta is passionate about writing health and parenting blogs. She believes in holistic approach towards health and well being.