Growth Hormone in IVF: A Useless Addition
Author Information
Author(s): Mourad Ali, Jamal Wael, Hemmings Robert, Tadevosyan Artak, Phillips Simon, Kadoch Isaac-Jacques
Primary Institution: University of Montreal
Hypothesis
Does adjuvant growth hormone (GH) therapy in GnRH antagonist cycles improve reproductive outcomes in the general IVF population?
Conclusion
Adding growth hormone therapy to IVF cycles does not improve reproductive outcomes for patients.
Supporting Evidence
- GH therapy did not improve clinical pregnancy rates compared to the control group.
- Both groups had similar ovarian stimulation outcomes.
- The study is the largest RCT on this topic to date.
Takeaway
The study found that giving growth hormone to women undergoing IVF doesn't help them get pregnant or have healthy babies.
Methodology
This was a phase III open-label RCT involving 288 patients undergoing antagonist IVF cycles, comparing GH therapy to a control group.
Potential Biases
The open-label design may introduce bias due to participants' expectations regarding treatment.
Limitations
The study focused on expected normal responders, limiting its applicability to other patient populations such as poor responders.
Participant Demographics
Participants were women aged 30 to 42 years with primary or secondary infertility, normal responders, and a mean age of 38 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.406
Confidence Interval
95% CI: −0.06 [−0.22, 0.09]
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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