Clinical Consideration of Obese Infertile Women.

Nam,  Yoon Sung; Jeong,  Chang Jin; Kim,  Nam Keun; Yoon,  Tae Ki; Cha,  Kwang Yul

Original Article

Korean Journal of Fertility and Sterility 2002;29(3):209-214.
Published online September 1, 2002.

Clinical Consideration of Obese Infertile Women.

Yoon Sung Nam, Chang Jin Jeong, Nam Keun Kim, Tae Ki Yoon, Kwang Yul Cha

¹Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Pocheon CHA University, Pocheon, Korea.
²Institute for Clinical Research, College of Medicine, Pocheon CHA University, Pocheon, Korea.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To analyze the clinical characteristics of obese infertile women. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Height, weight, body mass index, menstrual pattern, glucose, insulin, glucose / insulin ratio, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), testosterone, free testosterone and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) of 15 obese infertile women were tested. RESULTS: Of 15 obese infertile women, the number of diabetes mellitus, hyperinsulinemia, and insulin resistance was 2 (13%), 2 (13%), 2 (13%), respectively. The incidence of increased DHEA-S, testosterone, and free testosterone was 7 (47%), 1 (7%), 6 (40%), respectively. Notably, all patients showed increased PAI-1. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity is associated with infertility as well as many kinds of health problems. Obesity is closely related to insulin resistance and it also causes hyperandrogenism. Increased PAI-1 is one of the important causes of thrombophilia. Consequently, in the workup of obese infertile patient, many aspects of health problems should be considered.

Key Words: Obesity; Infertility