Preconception cardiometabolic health in patients seeking fertility services: protocol for a single-site, prospective...

Weight loss is often recommended as the primary intervention for infertility in individuals with high body mass index. However, focusing on body mass index might overlook other important factors like cardiometabolic health. This study aims to examine cardiometabolic health in patients seeking fertility treatment and its impact on reproductive outcomes.

A cross-sectional analysis of 800 systematically selected participants (400 couples) will be completed on a single visit to the study site. This session will involve taking blood samples to examine metabolic biomarkers, the completion of questionnaires assessing preconception health factors and an exercise 'step test' to assess cardiorespiratory fitness. Metabolic panels will be compared with target values and, where available, normative population data. Fitness data will be transformed into normative percentile values based on the participant's age and sex. Patients will be followed for 2 years to allow yearly data collection related to conception, gestation and parturition. Associations between cardiometabolic health during the preconception phase and reproductive outcomes will be examined.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Research Ethics Board has provided ethical approval for this study (HREB #20230825). Each patient will be required to give written consent prior to any data collection. We will share study findings at conferences and submit manuscripts to peer-reviewed journals. Additionally, we will create knowledge translation presentations for Newfoundland and Labrador Fertility Services and Family Practice Clinics.