What does low AMH really mean?
WHAT DOES LOW AMH REALLY MEAN? 🧪
AMH (Anti Mullerian Hormone) is a hormone produced by immature follicles. How much AMH these follicles produce can be measured to predict the current egg supply. AMH usually decreases naturally as we age.
If we’re trying to get pregnant, AMH is most often used to gauge how many eggs we have (quantity) and how we might respond to reproductive therapies like IVF (in vitro fertilization). It’s usually used in conjunction with other markers.
If we’re trying to conceive, seeing low AMH on a test can feel hopeless, especially if we’ve been at it for a while. But it’s NOT the end-all-be-all. Here’s what you need to know.
*WHAT LOW AMH CAN TELL US:
✔ We may be more likely to experience menopause sooner
✔ We may be more likely to experience premature ovarian failure
✔ We may have fewer eggs (diminished ovarian reserve, although false-positives are very possible)
✔ We may be less responsive to IVF meds
✔ We may be more likely to cancel our IVF cycle
*WHAT LOW AMH CAN’T TELL US:
✘ The quality of the eggs we have
✘ How exactly fertile we are
✘ Chances of chromosomal abnormalities
✘ Our chances of achieving live birth
❕❕❕Plus, there is new research coming out that tears down the idea that we’re born with all the eggs we’ll ever have and that we can’t make new ones.
Tune into Episode 2 of The Innate Wisdom Podcast with @dr.grace.tcm where we discuss AMH levels and so much more. And feel free to sign up for the wait list to my eCourse, Conscious Conception 2.0, where I’ll be diving into strategies for how to optimize AMH levels if trying to get pregnant.
❔Are you dealing with low AMH or high AMH? What has worked for you so far? Share with the community below.
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Not medical advice.
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References:
Broer SL, Eijkemans MJ, Scheffer GJ, et al. Anti-mullerian hormone predicts menopause: a long-term follow-up study in normoovulatory women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2011;96:2532-9.
Eskew, A. Haas, W. (2022). Low AMH Levels? How to Increase AMH Level. Retrieved from: https://www.ovulifemd.com/how-to-increase-amh-levels/.
Freeman EW, Sammel MD, Lin H, Boorman DW, Gracia CR. Contribution of the rate of change of antimüllerian hormone in estimating time to menopause for late reproductive-age women. Fertil Steril 2012;98:1254-9. e1-2.
Freeman EW, SammelMD, LinH, GraciaCR. Anti-mullerian hormone as a predictor of time to menopause in late reproductive-age women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2012;97:1673-80.
Kallen, A. Lindberg, S. (2020). AMH Testing and What It Can Tell You. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/health/fertility/amh.
Kotlyar, A. Seifer, D.B. (2020). Anti-Müllerian hormone as a qualitative marker - or just quantity?. Retrieved from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32205525/.
Majumder K, Gelbaya TA, Laing I, Nardo LG. The use of anti-mullerian hormone and antral follicle count to predict the potential of oocytes and embryos. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2010;150:166-70.
Public Library of Science. (2012). Do ovaries continue to produce eggs during adulthood?. Retrieved from: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120726180259.htm.
Seifer DB, Tal O, Wantman E, Edul P, Baker VL. Prognostic indicators of assisted reproduction technology outcomes of cycles with ultralow serum antimüllerian hormone: a multivariate analysis of over 5,000 autologous cycles from the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology Clinic Outcome Reporting System database for 2012-2013. Fertil Steril 2016;105:385-93.e3.
Steiner A et al. Association between biomarkers of ovarian reserve and infertility among older women of reproductive age. JAMA. 2017;318(14)1367-1376.
Yates AP, Rustamov O, Roberts SA, et al. Anti-mullerian hormone-tailored stimulation protocols improve outcomes whilst reducing adverse effects and costs of IVF. Hum Reprod 2011;26:2353-62.
Weschler, T. (2021). Taking Charge of Your Fertility: The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health (Revised Edition) (Revised ed.). Quill.
Woods, D.C. Telfer, E.E. Tilly, J.L. (2012). Oocyte Family Trees: Old Branches or New Stems?. Retrieved from: https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1002848.
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