[Obesity and reproductive disorders]

Obesity and overweight correlate with endocrine disorders in women, polycystic ovary syndrome, there are more atretic follicles in the ovary of obese women, overweight affects ovulation, pregnancy rates and outcomes in natural as well as in treated cycles. Similarly starvation correlates with menstrual cycle disturbances with anovulation.

The study includes 309 IVF treatment cycles performed in our IVF centre between 1/1/97 and 30/6/99. The patients were divided into five groups according to nutrition evaluated by body mass index (BMI). The parameters of IVF treatment includes the number of follicles, the number of collected oocytes, the recovery rate, the number of fertilized oocytes, the fertilization rate, the number of cleaved embryos, the cleavage rate, the clinical pregnancy rate, the take home baby rate, the miscarriage rate. The unpaired t-test was used in statistical analysis.

There were found statistically significant less number of cycles with more than 10% fertilized oocytes and lower recovery rate in the obese and overweight women.

Overweight and obesity significantly affect the parameters and outcomes of IVF treatment. The fertilization of the oocytes failed more often in the obese and overweight women. The lower pregnancy rates were achieved although the high oocytes recovery and high normal cleaved embryos were found in the obese women. The cause of the bad IVF treatment outcomes in the obese women seems to be probably the affected quality of the oocytes with lower fertilization and implantation potential eventually affected endometrium quality. The overweight reduction is the important part of infertility treatment in obese women.