The effect of dydrogesterone supplementation in an IVF programme

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Endocrinology
• In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

Background:

• Hormonal supplementation during the luteal phase is common in IVF but lacks proven efficacy.
• Evidence supporting various luteal phase treatments in IVF is often insufficient.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of dydrogesterone versus placebo for luteal phase support in IVF.
• To determine if dydrogesterone improves pregnancy rates in assisted reproductive technology.

Main Methods:

• A double-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted.
• 125 IVF transfers received dydrogesterone, while 133 received a placebo.
• Pregnancy rates per transfer cycle were compared between the two groups.

Main Results:

• The pregnancy rate was 21.6% with dydrogesterone and 15.0% with placebo.
• No statistically significant difference in pregnancy rates was observed between the dydrogesterone and placebo groups.
• The study highlights the need for larger sample sizes to detect smaller, potentially significant differences.

Conclusions:

• Dydrogesterone supplementation during the luteal phase did not demonstrate a significant benefit in IVF pregnancy rates in this study.
• The findings underscore the challenges in establishing the efficacy of luteal phase hormonal support.
• Larger, well-powered studies are required to draw definitive conclusions on hormonal supplementation in IVF.