Infertility Found Linked to Stress

A study has found that levels of the stress hormone cortisol are clearly elevated in the bloodstream of child-bearing-aged women who have stopped menstruating. Conducted by researchers at the Magee-Women's Research Institute of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC, PA, USA), the study was presented at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in Denver (CO, USA).

The study findings suggest that psychologic intervention and stress-reduction therapy can have a positive impact on infertility associated with the cessation of menstruation, called functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA). It is characterized by wildly irregular or absent periods—often for as long as two years or more. Long-term FHA can also result in bone loss and affect brain function. Women with the disorder also share certain characteristics, such as a tendency toward perfectionism and poor nutritional or lifestyle choices.

Six of the seven women in the study who were treated with sessions of cognitive behavior therapy and dietary counseling recovered normal menstrual cycles, while one partially recovered. Of the seven women not treated, one recovered, one partially recovered and five continued to experience FHA.

"FHA isn't caused by any real defects in the reproductive system,” said Sarah Berga, M.D., a professor in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "We thought using stress-reduction techniques might reverse the process, and our results show we were right.”



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Univ. of Pittsburgh Medical Center