Stress Linked with Infertility

Stress could be a major reason for infertility, according to a latest study.

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center researchers and colleagues found that experiencing high levels of stress led to a 29 percent less likelihood of getting pregnant each month. Researchers looked at the levels of alpha-amylase in saliva to assess the levels of stress in women.

Also, women with high levels of this protein enzyme are twice as likely to meet the clinical definition of infertility as other women.

The present study included 501 American women between ages 18 and 40 years. All participants were trying to conceive and didn't have any history of infertility. Researchers obtained saliva samples from all women during their first day of study and later during the first observed menstrual cycle. Researchers looked at levels of both alpha-amylase and cortisol in the saliva samples.

"This is now the second study in which we have demonstrated that women with high levels of the stress biomarker salivary alpha-amylase have a lower probability of becoming pregnant, compared to women with low levels of this biomarker. For the first time, we've shown that this effect is potentially clinically meaningful, as it's associated with a greater than two-fold increased risk of infertility among these women," said Courtney Denning-Johnson Lynch, director of reproductive epidemiology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, according to a news release.

This isn't the first time that researchers have linked stress with fertility issues. Several studies have shown that higher levels of stress markers in the body are linked with lower chances of getting pregnant.

Why does stress affect fertility?

According to previous research by University of California, Berkeley, stress not only suppresses the body's main sex hormone called gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH), but also increases levels of gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone, or GnIH. The inhibitory hormone further reduces the levels of sex hormone in the body leading to fertility problems

The solution

Remember that there are several factors responsible for infertility. So just reducing stress might not solve fertility issues.

According to health experts at Penn Medicine, keeping communication lines open with the partner, adopting relaxation techniques such as yoga, avoiding intake of caffeine and maintaining a healthy lifestyle could probably reduce some stress.

"Eliminating stressors before trying to become pregnant might shorten the time couples need to become pregnant in comparison to ignoring stress. The good news is that women most likely will know which stress reduction strategy works best for them, since a one-size-fits-all solution is not likely," Germaine Buck Louis, one of the present study authors said in a news release.

The study is published in the journal Human Reproduction.