Why AMH test is considered ideal for fertility?
Ovarian reserve plays an important role in fertility treatment. During IVF treatment you will get injections to grow follicles. Your IVF success will depend on the number and quality of eggs. If you have a good ovarian reserve there are more chances of growing good embryos. Hence, an ideal marker is required before IVF treatment.
AMH test is considered an ideal marker of ovarian reserve for its accuracy in diagnosing poor response. In other words, AMH is a highly specific test. Other tests like basal follicle-stimulating hormone levels, antral follicle count, are also suggested as ovarian reserve tests that may fulfill this requirement.
Until 40 years of age, neither FSH nor inhibin B shows a definite correlation with age. Serum AMH level stability regardless of the menstrual cycle makes it much easier to use it to evaluate ovarian reserve than other markers
What is the Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH)?
In women, AMH is produced and secreted from ovarian granulosa cells from approximately 36 weeks of gestation to menopause
What is a normal AMH level?
AMH level is barely detectable in the new-born baby. However, it slowly increases after a few weeks. The level peaks at around 25 years of age in women. The standard levels of AMH test varies between 2 to 4 in young women. It decreases with age and becomes very low for around 40 years.
Why the AMH test is done?
- As a test of ovarian reserve
- As a marker for predicting age at menopause
- As a predictive marker of ovarian response in controlled ovarian stimulation
- AMH levels may vary significantly in women of the same chronological age, allowing AMH to predict the remaining length of a woman’s reproductive lifespan.
- Assessment of ovarian function before and after gynaecologic surgeries or toxic agents such as chemotherapy