Does in vitro fertilisation increase type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risk?

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Developmental Biology
• Metabolic Health

Background:

• Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) usage is rising globally.
• Long-term health impacts and safety concerns of ART, including in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), remain under investigation.
• Emerging evidence suggests potential links between IVF and increased risks of obesity, hypertension, and metabolic dysfunction in offspring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current evidence from animal models and human studies on ART's long-term health effects.
• To explore the role of epigenetic alterations in mediating the association between pre-implantation embryo manipulation and offspring metabolic disease.
• To highlight the need for prospective studies to assess health risks in individuals conceived via IVF.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of existing literature.
• Analysis of animal model studies investigating ART outcomes.
• Examination of human cohort data and epidemiological studies.
• Discussion of epigenetic mechanisms potentially linking ART to disease.

Main Results:

• ART may be associated with increased incidence of obesity, elevated blood pressure, glucose, and triglyceride levels, and subclinical hypothyroidism in offspring.
• Epigenetic alterations in the pre-implantation embryo are proposed as a mechanism linking ART to later-life metabolic and cardiovascular diseases.
• Current evidence is limited, and underlying mechanisms require further elucidation.

Conclusions:

• ART may confer an increased risk for metabolic and cardiovascular diseases in offspring, potentially mediated by epigenetic changes.
• Further research, including long-term prospective studies with robust methodologies in both humans and animal models, is crucial.
• Understanding these risks is vital for preventing or delaying major mortality causes through lifestyle interventions.