Age is a better predictor of pregnancy potential than basal follicle-stimulating hormone levels in women undergoing in vitro fertilization

Objective: To analyze to what extent the parameters of ovarian functional reserve including female age and basal FSH levels will affect the results of ovarian hyperstimulation and IVF outcome. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: University hospital infertility center. Patient(s): One thousand forty-five women undergoing their first cycle of IVF with ovarian stimulation after pituitary desensitization. Intervention(s): None. Main Outcome Measure(s): Cycle parameters, cancellation rate, implantation rate, and pregnancy rate. Result(s): Both increasing age and basal FSH were associated significantly with reduced numbers of oocytes collected, oocytes fertilized, and embryos transferred. The combined use of age and basal FSH significantly improves the predictive power for these parameters. Increasing age, but not basal FSH, was associated significantly with reduced implantation rate and pregnancy rate. Logistic regression analysis revealed that age, but not basal FSH, was an independent predictor of pregnancy rate. Neither age nor basal FSH had significant association with fertilization rate, miscarriage rate, or ectopic pregnancy rate. Conclusion(s): Both basal FSH and age contributed to the prediction of the quantitative ovarian reserve as reflected by the number of oocytes collected. However, age is a better predictor of pregnancy potential for women undergoing IVF.