Association between GLM7 and female infertility: a cross-sectional analysis of NHANES 2013-2018

Female infertility is a common reproductive disorder influenced by metabolic dysfunction. The glycolipid metabolism 7 factors (GLM7) is a composite metabolic index integrating age, BMI, glucose, insulin, and lipid profiles. This study aimed to examine its association with female infertility in a nationally representative population.

Data from 1,405 female participants aged 18-45 years from the 2013-2018 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed. We used survey-weighted logistic regression models and restricted cubic splines to assess the association between GLM7 and infertility. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the diagnostic accuracy.

A total of 167 participants (11.9%) reported infertility. After full adjustment, higher GLM7 levels were independently associated with increased odds of infertility (odds ratio (OR) = 1.401, 95% CI: 1.028-1.909, p = 0.034). A positive linear association was observed, with a potential plateau effect at GLM7 ≈ 6.98. GLM7 showed modest discriminative ability (AUC = 0.596, 95%CI: 0.552-0.639).

GLM7 was positively associated with female infertility. As a multidimensional metabolic indicator, GLM7 may provide complementary information for reproductive health research. However, its modest discriminative performance suggests limited value as a standalone screening tool, warranting further validation in longitudinal and clinical studies.