Beverage intake and ovarian reserve among women from a fertility center

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the associations of caffeinated, alcoholic, and sweetened beverage intakes with antral follicle count (AFC), a well-accepted biomarker of ovarian reserve.

Design: Observational prospective cohort study.

Setting: Fertility center at an academic hospital.

Patients: This study includes 567 women seeking fertility care at the Massachusetts General Hospital who participated in the Environment and Reproductive Health Study.

Intervention: None. Women self-reported consumption of caffeinated (coffee, tea, soda), alcoholic (wine, beer, liquor), sugar-sweetened, and artificially sweetened beverages using a validated food-frequency questionnaire.

Main outcome measure: Antral follicle count was assessed using a transvaginal ultrasound performed on the 3rd day of an unstimulated menstrual cycle or on the 3rd day of a progesterone withdrawal bleed.

Results: Median (interquartile range) age and AFC were 35.0 (32.0-38.0) years and 13.0 (9.0-18.0), respectively. Median (range) intake of caffeinated, alcoholic, sugar-sweetened, and artificially sweetened beverages in servings/day were 1.08 (0-7.08), 0.35 (0-3.84), 0.04 (0-4.80), and 0.04 (0-7.50), respectively. All examined beverages were unrelated to AFC. The multivariable adjusted mean AFC (95% confidence interval) for women in the top and bottom quartiles of intake were 13.8 (13.0-14.7) and 13.8 (12.9-14.7) for caffeinated beverages; 13.8 (13.0-14.7) and 13.8 (13.0-14.6) for alcoholic beverages; 13.5 (12.6-14.4) and 13.3 (12.4-14.2) for sugar-sweetened beverages; and 13.2 (12.4-14.1) and 13.4 (12.6-14.3) for artificially sweetened beverages.

Conclusion: Low-to-moderate intakes of caffeinated, alcoholic, sugar-sweetened, and artificially sweetened beverages were unrelated to ovarian reserve, as measured by AFC, in a cohort of women seeking fertility care.

Keywords: Antral follicle count; beverages; female fertility; ovarian reserve.