New evidence that hormone levels measured in hair can affect IVF success by almost one-third

Levels of a hormone when measured in hair can significantly predict the likelihood of pregnancy in women undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment, scientists at The University of Nottingham have revealed. 

The new study, funded by Nurture Fertility (Nottingham) and published today in Psychoneuroendocrinology, found that elevated levels of the so-called ‘stress hormone’ cortisol measured in hair were associated with almost a third less chance of conceiving. 

This technique enables doctors to measure cumulative hormonal function over the previous 3-6 months and, as such, provides a more reliable measure of hormonal function compared to other techniques using saliva, blood and urine that measure only short term levels of the hormone.

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