Dr. Nupur Gupta,
Hormonal balance is necessary to get pregnant, carry to term and have a healthy baby. Hormonal imbalance does not happen overnight but slowly over time. With fast paced world full of high demand, our body gets over stressed and our dietary habits are put at the bottom in the priority list. Most hormonal imbalances are a reflection of lifestyle choices over a long-period of time, perhaps months, years and decades.
Anti Mullerian Hormone is one of the important hormones for the women. Fertility problems are often directly linked to its imbalance. In order to bring our bodies back to a fertile state, we must change how we view our lives. We must take time to nurture ourselves.
What is AMH?
AMH is a hormone secreted by the cells in developing egg follicles. The level of AMH in a woman's blood is generally a good indicator of her ovarian reserve. These tests are also useful in evaluating ovarian function and possibly in predicting the onset of menopause which is usually around the age of 45 years. With the changes in lifestyle and the urban area's ambience, woman's ovarian reserve is depleting before time
AMH is also done for a woman who will be undergoing assisted reproduction procedures such as in vitro fertilization (IVF); the value of AMH present is related to her likely responsiveness to treatment. A low level of AMH reflects poor ovarian response, indicating that a decreased number of eggs would be retrieved after ovarian stimulation. For a good correlation and comprehensive evaluation, it is usually done along with other hormone tests to count the number of follicles as a reflection of the woman's egg reserve.
AMH is leading to new insights into ovarian function. AMH is produced by small growing follicles, thus is distinct from ovulation and is a step closer to being able to assess the true ovarian reserve. AMH is measureable from birth to near the menopause, with a peak in the mid-20s. Changes in adolescence are likely to lead to new understanding of ovarian maturation at puberty. AMH is becoming a routine test in assisted conception, reflecting a decline in the primordial follicle pool during the later reproductive years, and also identifying women at risk of over-response.
What are the reasons for low AMH?
Women are born with their lifetime reserve of eggs, and these gradually decrease in both quality and quantity with age. Urban lifestyle depletes the number and deteriorates egg quality prematurely in women. With the increasing age, the body is affected by poor dietary intake, poor blood circulation, disturbed hormonal balance, autoimmune disorders, and other health problems. The dietary and lifestyle choices you make also improve the quality and health of your eggs. Elimination of toxins and stress is equal to improving fertility and chances of conception.
What does low AMH diagnose?
AMH is a hormone produced by reproductive tissues. Its role and the amount normally present varies depending upon sex and age.
Women of childbearing age may have an AMH test ordered along with other hormone tests, such as estradiol and FSH, to estimate the ovarian reserve.
Some ovarian cancers produce increased levels of AMH. If the hormone is initially elevated, then the test can be used as a tumor marker to help evaluate response to treatment and monitor for recurrence.
Other female hormones fluctuate with a woman's monthly cycle; however, AMH is produced by growing follicles at a relatively steady rate. It is also not affected by oral contraceptives or pregnancy.
The author is a Gynecologist & Director Well Woman Clinic, Gurguram
