A Ovarian reserve is an important topic when it comes to female fertility. It represents a woman’s egg supply, which gradually decreases over the years until menopause. And a series of factors, both genetic and environmental, can accelerate the depletion of this stock.
One of these factors, according to a recent study, is exposure to heavy metals, such as cadmium, arsenic, mercury and lead. They are present, for example, in cigarettes and air pollution, in addition to contaminating water and food, depending on the location and method of cultivation.
The study, published in January in the scientific journal The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolismincluded data from 549 middle-aged women who were transitioning to menopause and had traces of heavy metals in their urine.
The researchers also analyzed blood samples taken up to ten years before the last menstrual period to check levels of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), considered the best marker of ovarian reserve.
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Based on this, it was possible to observe that women with higher amounts of heavy metals in their urine were more likely to have lower AMH levels and, therefore, a lower egg supply – this in comparison to other people his age.
These heavy metals are important endocrine disruptors – that is, they are substances that imitate, block or alter the normal levels of hormones in the body, including those involved in reproductive function.
The study findings, in addition to helping to better understand some of the causes behind the early decrease in ovarian reserve, serve to develop strategies to preserve fertility in these women with greater exposure to metals.
It is worth mentioning that it is possible to get pregnant naturally even with low ovarian reserve, but the chances are lower. To avoid wasting eggs and increase the chances of pregnancy, the ideal is to seek out a specialist in human reproduction, who can recommend procedures, such as in vitro fertilization.
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*Rodrigo Rosa is an obstetrician gynecologist and specialist in human reproduction. He is a founding partner and clinical director of the Mater Prime clinic, in São Paulo, and Mater Lab, a Human Reproduction laboratory. He is also a member of the Brazilian Association of Assisted Reproduction (SBRA) and the Brazilian Society of Human Reproduction (SBRH).
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