Effect of Obesity on Parameters of Ovarian Reserve in Premenopausal Women

Objective: To study the relationship between obesity and serum and ultrasound markers of ovarian reserve in premenopausal women. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional comparative study of two age-matched groups of premenopausal participants (early transition phase): 50 participants ("non-obese") had a BMI < 30 kg/m(2), and the other 50 participants ("obese") had a BMI of 30 to 35 kg/m(2). The obese women had a mean age of 46.2 years and the non-obese women had a mean age of 46.1 years. Blood samples were collected from all participants, anthropometric measurements were calculated, and transvaginal ultrasonography was performed to measure the antral follicle count (AFC) and ovarian volume during the early follicular phase. The blood samples were assayed for antimullerian hormone (AMH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), fasting blood glucose (FBG) and two-hour postprandial blood glucose (2h PP). Results: There was no significant difference between the two groups in mean age, levels of serum AMH, serum FSH, FBG, 2 hr PP, or AFC. Ovarian volume was significantly lower in obese women (3.7 +/- 0.8 mL) than in non-obese women (6.6 +/- 0.4 mL) (P = 0.03). There was no significant correlation between BMI and serum AMH, serum FSH, FBS, or 2 hr PP. Conclusion: Obesity has no association with levels of serum FSH, AMH, blood glucose, or AFC indicating that obesity is unlikely to affect ovarian reserve in the perimenopausal age group.