ANTHROPOMETRIC INDICATORS AND RESPONSE TO GONADOTROPIN FOR OVULATION INDUCTION

A total of 111 women with no ultrasonographic findings of polycystic o varian syndrome were observed between January 1989 and December 1991 i n an in-vitro fertilization (IVF) programme. The treatment schedule in volved ovulation induction after treatment with a gonadotrophin-releas ing hormone (GnRH) agonist, using standard doses of human menopausal g onadotrophin (HMG) for 4 days, and further stepwise increments in dosa ge as required. Response to the treatment was defined as: (i) presence /absence of one or more follicles greater than or equal to 10 mm diame ter after 4 days of treatment, and (ii) oocyte retrieval. Three indice s of body mass were considered: weight (W) in kg/height (H)(2) in metr es (Quetelet's index), W/H-1.5 (the National Health and Nutrition Exam ination Survey anthropometric index for women), W-0.30/H (ponderal ind ex). Surface area was computed as 0.0235 (H in cm(0.422)) (W in kg(0.5 15)). Women in the upper tertiles of the range of anthropometric indic ators more frequently tended to present no follicle greater than or eq ual to 10 mm on day 7. Likewise, oocytes were retrieved less frequentl y in subjects in the higher tertile than in those in the lower. The od ds ratio of a negative response both on day 7 and at the end of treatm ent increased with the tertiles of body mass indices or surface areas. This study suggests that response to ovulation induction treatment is inversely related to body mass index.