What is AMH?

Clearly the issue of ovarian reserve strikes many doctors and patients as "clear as mud!" Remember from our past discussions that ovarian reserve relates to the number of eggs that a patient has and the reproductive potential of those eggs. Ovarian reserve is not truly a test of egg quality as a woman's age is the final arbitrator of egg quality. As I am currently unable to make any patient younger, although I could retire if I could, we need to keep the difference between egg quantity (ovarian reserve) and egg quality (age) segregated in our mind.

So in trying to determine how a woman might respond to fertility drugs we use a variety of tests to predict her response. Day 3 FSH and estradiol, antral follicle count on sonogram and the clomid challenge test (CCCT) have been the methods used most recently. However, for the past 2 years we have also been measuring anti-mullerian hormone (AMH). This protein is made in the cells that line the follicles (the fluid filled cysts that contain a woman's eggs - 1 egg per follicle). The more follicles, the higher the AMH and the better the response to fertility drugs which resue the extra eggs that were doomed to run out of gas during the menstrual cycle.

Apparently AMH is getting some attention in periodicals outside of the medical literature as you can see in this link to the Wall Street Journal. We still rely on Day 3 FSH, estradiol and sonogram to get a complete sense of how a patient will respond to fertility drugs, BUT the AMH has proven helpful in many patients as we try to pick a stimulation protocol.

However, in doing Natural Cycle IVF, all tests of ovarian reserve may fail to predict success since by its very nature...natural cycle IVF is unstimulated. So if a patient is doing Natural Cycle IVF, whether or not they would respond to fertility shots is a moot point! What has been amazing to us is the ability of patients with high FSH, low antral follicle counts and low AMH to generate a beautiful embryo in Natural Cycle IVF. What matters is pregnancy and delivery but we have many patients whose ovarian reserve testing is poor and yet they have had success with Natural Cycle IVF. "It only takes one good embryo" as many patients are fond of saying!

So should you have an AMH level done. Yes, as long as you are working with a doctor who can interpret the results for you given the "big" picture and not lose sight of the forest for the trees.

Good luck

DrG