Increased levels of ‘stress hormone’ cortisol in the hair may provide insight into chances of conceiving through In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF), findings of a new study suggest.
According to Kavita Vedhara, Professor at the University of Nottingham School of Medicine, lead author of the study, the elevated levels of cortisol in the hair can significantly predict the likelihood of pregnancy in women undergoing IVF treatment.
Unlike other techniques for measuring hormonal levels like saliva, blood and urine tests, this technique offers more reliable results, she added.
The study
The findings of the study are based on the assessment of 135 women. While all participants underwent IVF, only 60 percent became pregnant.
For the study, hair samples of 88 women were tested for cortisol levels. All other participants submitted saliva samples.
Researchers found that women with high levels of cortisol in their hair were more likely to experience an unsuccessful IVF treatment.
“While these results do not specifically implicate stress, they do provide preliminary evidence that long-term cortisol levels are associated with a reduced likelihood of conceiving. A range of factors are likely to account for that, stress being one possibility,” Vedhara added.
The findings of the study are published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology.
