Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah Health Sciences Center, Room 2B200 SOM, 50 North Medical Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA.
Although maternal nutrition may affect fecundity, associations between preconception micronutrient levels and time to pregnancy (TTP) have not been examined. We assessed the relationship between preconception fat-soluble micronutrient concentrations and TTP among women with 1-2 prior pregnancy losses. This was a prospective cohort study of 1,228 women set within the Effects of Aspirin in Gestation and Reproduction (EAGeR) Trial (United States, 2007-2011), which assessed the association of preconception-initiated daily low-dose aspirin with reproductive outcomes. We measured preconception levels of zeaxanthin, cryptoxanthin, lycopene, αand β-carotene, and αand γ-tocopherol in serum. We used discrete Cox regression models, accounting for left-truncation and right-censoring, to calculate fecundability odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. The models adjusted for age, body mass index, race, smoking, alcohol, physical activity, income, vitamin use, cholesterol, treatment arm, and study site. Serum α-carotene levels (per log unit (μg/dL) increase, fecundability odds ratio (FOR) = 1.17, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.00, 1.36) and serum α-carotene concentrations at or above the US average (2.92 μg/dL) versus below the average (FOR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.44) were associated with shorter TTP. Compared with levels below the US average (187 μg/dL), γ-tocopherol concentrations at or above the average were associated with longer TTP (FOR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.69, 1.00). The potential for these nutrients to influence fecundability deserves further exploration.
Kim Schisterman Silver preconception carotene concentrations time to pregnancy fecundability, fat-soluble micronutrients beta-carotene vitamin E preconception fertility women, EAGeR trial 1228 women preconception serum carotenoid TTP pregnancy loss history, shorter time to pregnancy increasing carotene concentration 1-2 prior losses, antioxidant micronutrients fecundity preconception nutrition fertility association, American Journal of Epidemiology 2018 carotene fecundability pregnancy loss women, serum vitamin A vitamin E retinol tocopherol fecundability no association, preconception oxidative stress antioxidant carotenoids conception fertility, luteal phase progesterone carotenoid interaction endometrial receptivity hypothesis, recurrent pregnancy loss preconception micronutrient status fertility outcomes
PMID 29767694 29767694 DOI 10.1093/aje/kwy101 10.1093/aje/kwy101
Cite this article
Kim, K., Schisterman, E. F., Silver, R. M., Wilcox, B. D., Lynch, A. M., Perkins, N. J., Browne, R. W., Lesher, L. L., Stanford, J. B., Ye, A., Wactawski-Wende, J., & Mumford, S. L. (2018). Shorter Time to Pregnancy With Increasing Preconception Carotene Concentrations Among Women With 1-2 Previous Pregnancy Losses. American journal of epidemiology, 187(9), 1907-1915. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwy101
Kim K, Schisterman EF, Silver RM, Wilcox BD, Lynch AM, Perkins NJ, et al. Shorter Time to Pregnancy With Increasing Preconception Carotene Concentrations Among Women With 1-2 Previous Pregnancy Losses. Am J Epidemiol. 2018;187(9):1907-1915. doi:10.1093/aje/kwy101
Kim, K., et al. "Shorter Time to Pregnancy With Increasing Preconception Carotene Concentrations Among Women With 1-2 Previous Pregnancy Losses." American journal of epidemiology, vol. 187, no. 9, 2018, pp. 1907-1915.
Latif T et al., 2017·American journal of epidemiology
Semen quality has been suggested to be a biological marker of long-term morbidity and mortality; however, few studies have been conducted on this subject. We identified 5,370 men seen for infertility at Frederiksberg Hospital, Denmark, during 1977-2010, and 4,712 of these men were followed in the Danish National Patient Registry until first hospitalization, death, or the end of the study. We classified patients according to hospitalizations and the presence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, testicular cancer, or prostate cancer. We found a clear association between sperm concentration below 15 million/mL and all-cause hospitalizations (hazard ratio = 1.5, 95% 1.4, 1.6) and cardiovascular disease (hazard ratio = 1.4, 95% 1.2, 1.6), compared with men with a concentration above 40 million/mL. The probabilities for hospitalizations were also higher with a low total sperm count and low motility. Men with a sperm concentration of 195-200 million/mL were, on average, hospitalized for the first time 7 years later than were men with a sperm concentration of 0-5 million/mL. Semen quality was associated with long-term morbidity, and a significantly higher risk of hospitalization was found, in particular for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus. Our study supports the suggestion that semen quality is a strong biomarker of general health.
Eisenberg ML, 2015·American journal of epidemiology
Approximately 15% of all couples are unable to conceive after a year and are labeled infertile. In recent years, increasing attention has been given to lifestyle factors that may impact fertility. In the United States, it is estimated that there are more than 17 million current users of marijuana with 4.6 million using marijuana almost daily. Although common, to date, little data exist on the impact of marijuana use on male fertility. In the current issue of the Journal, Gundersen et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2015;182(6):473-481) provide data examining the relationship between marijuana use and semen quality from young men recruited out of the general Danish population. Men who reported daily marijuana use displayed significant lower sperm concentration and sperm counts compared with nonusers, while testosterone levels were higher. The current report provides important information for patients and providers regarding the negative association of marijuana use on semen quality. Although the benefit of marijuana cessation on recovery is uncertain, further study on the impact of marijuana use on male reproductive health is warranted as more states explore marijuana legalization.
An estimated 80% of sexually active young women in the United States use hormonal contraceptives during their reproductive years. Associations between hormonal contraceptive use and mood disturbances remain understudied, despite the hypothesis that estrogen and progesterone play a role in mood problems. In this study, we used data from 6,654 sexually active nonpregnant women across 4 waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (1994-2008), focusing on women aged 25-34 years. Women were asked about hormonal contraceptive use in the context of a current sexual partnership; thus, contraceptive users were compared with other sexually active women who were using either nonhormonal contraception or no contraception. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. At ages 25-34 years, hormonal contraceptive users had lower mean levels of concurrent depressive symptoms (β = -1.04, 95% -1.73, -0.35) and were less likely to report a past-year suicide attempt (odds ratio = 0.37, 95% 0.14, 0.95) than women using low-efficacy contraception or no contraception, in models adjusted for propensity scores for hormonal contraceptive use. Longitudinal analyses indicated that associations between hormonal contraception and depressive symptoms were stable. Hormonal contraception may reduce levels of depressive symptoms among young women. Systematic investigation of exogenous hormones as a potential preventive factor in psychiatric epidemiology is warranted.
Menstrual bleeding patterns are considered relevant indicators of reproductive health, though few studies have evaluated patterns among regularly menstruating premenopausal women. The authors evaluated self-reported bleeding patterns, incidence of spotting, and associations with reproductive hormones among 201 women in the BioCycle Study (2005-2007) with 2 consecutive cycles. Bleeding patterns were assessed by using daily questionnaires and pictograms. Marginal structural models were used to evaluate associations between endogenous hormone concentrations and subsequent total reported blood loss and bleeding length by weighted linear mixed-effects models and weighted parametric survival analysis models. Women bled for a median of 5 days (standard 1.5) during menstruation, with heavier bleeding during the first 3 days. Only 4.8% of women experienced midcycle bleeding. Increased levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (β = 0.20, 95% 0.13, 0.27) and progesterone (β = 0.06, 95% 0.03, 0.09) throughout the cycle were associated with heavier menstrual bleeding, and higher follicle-stimulating hormone levels were associated with longer menses. Bleeding duration and volume were reduced after anovulatory compared with ovulatory cycles (geometric 29.6 vs. 47.2 mL; P = 0.07). Study findings suggest that detailed characterizations of bleeding patterns may provide more insight than previously thought as noninvasive markers for endocrine status in a given cycle.