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Published in: Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology 1/2014

Open Access 01-12-2014 | Research

High progesterone levels in women with high ovarian response do not affect clinical outcomes: a retrospective cohort study

Authors: Antonio Requena, María Cruz, Ernesto Bosch, Marcos Meseguer, Juan Antonio García-Velasco

Published in: Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology | Issue 1/2014

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Abstract

Background

The potentially detrimental role of progesterone during the follicular phase has been a matter of controversy for several years; however, few studies have analyzed the effects of combined raised estradiol and progesterone levels on pregnancy outcomes. The aim of the present study was to determine the influence of high progesterone levels on clinical outcomes in the context of high ovarian response.

Methods

We performed a retrospective cohort study that included 2850 women classified as high responders. The women were subdivided into six groups depending on their progesterone concentration on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration: <0.5 ng/ml (<p10), 0.50-0.70 ng/ml (p10-p25), 0.71-1.00 ng/ml (p25-p50), 1.01-1.40 ng/ml (p50-p75), 1.41-1.80 ng/ml (p75-p90) and >1.81 ng/ml (>p90). Ovarian response was classified as high when > =20 oocytes were retrieved or when estradiol was > =3000 pg/ml. Clinical outcomes of each subgroup were analyzed. We also examined data from frozen-thawed embryo transfers. Results were analyzed with Student’s t- test to compare continuous variables and chi-squared test to compare proportions. A p-value of < =0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

The progesterone concentration increased with ovarian response, and elevated progesterone did not show a significant clinical impact on implantation rate and pregnancy rates. These data provide evidence that progesterone levels higher than 1.8 ng/ml do not have detrimental effect on oocyte quality or endometrial receptivity.

Conclusions

These data allow us to conclude that high progesterone levels correlate significantly with high estradiol levels and that in high responder women; progesterone levels do not show a significant clinical impact on results.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
High progesterone levels in women with high ovarian response do not affect clinical outcomes: a retrospective cohort study
Authors
Antonio Requena
María Cruz
Ernesto Bosch
Marcos Meseguer
Juan Antonio García-Velasco
Publication date
01-12-2014
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology / Issue 1/2014
Electronic ISSN: 1477-7827
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7827-12-69

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