A recent study has examined the impact of growth hormone (GH) supplementation on the success rates of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) in women with decreased ovarian reserve (DOR), focusing particularly on how different age groups respond to treatment. The results suggest that GH may significantly benefit women aged 35 to 40, though its effects are less pronounced in younger or older patients.
The study enrolled 846 women diagnosed with DOR, all undergoing IVF-ET at the Reproductive Medicine Center of Sichuan Provincial Women’s and Children’s Hospital from May 2018 to June 2023. Participants were grouped based on age: those under 35 (Group A, n = 399), between 35 and 40 years old (Group B, n = 286), and over 40 (Group C, n = 161). Each group was further divided into two subgroups: one receiving GH treatment and the other serving as the control group. Patients in the GH group received 4 IU of GH daily, beginning on day 2 of the menstrual cycle before gonadotrophin (Gn) administration and continuing until the trigger day. Ovarian stimulation followed either a gonadotrophin-releasing hormone antagonist (GnRH-A) or a long-acting GnRH agonist protocol.
Key outcomes, including oocyte and embryo quality, as well as pregnancy rates, were compared between the GH-treated and control groups. In Group B, results showed that GH treatment led to a significant improvement in the quality of embryos, with a higher number of high-quality cleavage embryos (1.16 ± 1.35 vs. 0.74 ± 1.06), and a higher percentage of those embryos being classified as high quality (34.27% vs. 23.90%) compared to the control group. Additionally, the implantation rate (32.37% vs. 22.35%), clinical pregnancy rate (48.98% vs. 33.67%), and live birth rate (44.90% vs. 29.59%) were notably higher in the GH-treated group, while the rate of canceled oocyte retrieval was lower (1.49% vs. 6.58%).
However, in terms of the total duration and dosage of Gn, the number of oocytes retrieved, and the rates of normal fertilization, cleavage embryos, blastocysts, high-quality blastocysts, and early miscarriage, there were no significant differences between the GH and control subgroups in Group B.
In contrast, for women under 35 (Group A) and over 40 (Group C), no significant improvements in embryo quality or IVF-ET outcomes were observed with GH treatment, suggesting that GH supplementation may have limited benefits for these age groups.
In conclusion, the study indicates that GH treatment appears to improve IVF-ET outcomes, particularly for women aged 35 to 40 with DOR, by enhancing embryo quality and increasing the chances of live birth. However, its effectiveness may not extend to younger or older patients.
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