Wall Street Journal Examines New Measure In Fertility Testing

Main Category: Women's Health / Gynecology
Also Included In: Fertility
Article Date: 24 Apr 2008 - 8:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday examined a hormone test "gaining wider use" in the U.S. that might provide a "more accurate snapshot of a woman's egg count" compared with commonly used tests in the U.S. According to the Journal, the test measures a chemical in the body called anti-mullerian hormone, or AMH, from a blood sample. The test has been available in Europe but is still awaiting FDA approval.

According to the Journal, the "lack of uniform measurement standards" of the test has slowed its adoption in the U.S., where some physicians are not ready to "completely abandon" other tests that measure women's fertility. There also is debate as to whether AMH levels are associated with the quality of a woman's eggs. In addition, other factors, such as the "vitality and mechanics" of reproductive organs, can affect a woman's ability to become pregnant, the Journal reports.

However, recent research has strengthened AMH detection tests. According to the Journal, a study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility last year reviewed data from a series of AMH studies and concluded that it is the earliest marker of ovarian reserve and has the least variability during and between a woman's menstrual cycles -- compared with an older, commonly used egg-supply marker called follicle-stimulating hormone, or FSH. The $100 to $400 cost of the AMH tests is now covered by some health insurers. Woburn, Mass.-based Repromedix aims to market its $350 AMH test, called PlanAhead, directly to women. The product tests multiple factors, including AMH. Until the test receives FDA approval, it is available only through participating physicians in 24 cities, the Journal reports.

Michael Alper -- chief medical officer of Boston IVF and associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Harvard Medical School -- said, "AMH is an excellent predictor" of a woman's egg count. He added, "I would predict that we're going to be ordering it on everybody. It'll be a standard" (Tesoriero, Wall Street Journal, 4/22).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

© 2008 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.