A recent study found that women in their 30s and 40s who receive modest sun exposure may see an improvement in their ovarian reserve.
The Steroids study looked at the effect of sun exposure on female fertility. Researchers looked at the levels of a particular hormone known as anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and how these levels changed with the seasons. When moderate levels of solar radiation intensity were present in the spring and autumn, women over 30 years old showed increased levels of AMH. These results were significant.
However, researchers did not observe this effect in women under 30, indicating that solar radiation may affect female fertility more with age. More research is required to understand these factors and their potential clinical implications.
The researchers looked at how sun exposure influenced fertility among women of younger and older maternal ages. This study was conducted in Israel and included 2,235 women, mainly between 20 and 40 years old.
They wanted to better understand the relationship between solar radiation exposure and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), an indicator of female fertility.
“When evaluating the fertility status of a patient, often an anti-mullerian hormone level is obtained. This level correlates to ovarian reserve. Studies have revealed that AMH declines with age, and therefore also does fertility,” non-study author Dr. Kelli V. Burroughs, a national media women’s health medical expert and department chair of OB-GYN at Memorial Hermann Sugar Land in Texas, explained to Medical News Today.
However, researchers of the current study note that AMH doesn’t necessarily reflect the quality of oocytes.
The study authors looked at participant data for 4 years. Researchers measured solar radiation in the central district of Israel using data from the Israeli Meteorological Service website.
Researchers found that AMH levels declined with age, so they divided participants into two groups: those aged 20–29 years and those aged 30–40 years. For women in the 20–29-year category, researchers did not find an association between AMH levels and the seasons or solar radiation intensity.
However, the results differed for women in the 30- to 40-year group. Researchers found that AMH levels increased for these women in the spring and autumn when there were moderate solar radiation intensity levels, compared to the winter months when there were low solar radiation intensity levels.
They also found that participants in the 30-–40-year group who had AMH levels collected during the summer months had much higher AMH levels than participants who had AMH levels collected during the winter months.
Researchers further divided participants into 30-35-year and 36-40-year groups. In the 30-35-year group, they did not find a significant correlation between solar radiation intensity or season and AMH levels. In the 36–40 group, they discovered that AMH levels were higher in the months of moderate solar intensity and higher in the summer compared to winter.
Dr. Burroughs noted: “This study is interesting because it suggests for women between ages 30 and 40, there is a possible seasonal influence on the AMH driven by the amount of sunlight or UV exposure. The mechanism behind the correlation of AMH and seasonal UV light exposure is unknown, but the study revealed higher levels of AMH with moderate UV exposure during spring and fall. It was also noted that low and high levels of UV exposure had the opposite effect on AMH levels.”
Fertility is complex and affected by many components. Sometimes, it’s possible to modify certain factors that may contribute to infertility.
For example, both obesity and being underweight can increase the risk of infertility. Smoking or heavy drinking can decrease fertility. Certain health conditions can also impact female fertility, such as thyroid disease, endometriosis, autoimmune disorders, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Non-study author Dr. Kecia Gaither, MPH, double board-certified OB-GYN and maternal-fetal medicine specialist and director of Perinatal Services/Maternal Fetal Medicine at NYC Health in New York, said
“There are many factors which impact fertility — drugs, stress, female factors (endometriosis, fibroids, polyps, hormonal imbalances, PCOS etc) [and] male factors (i.e., low sperm counts). It’s important to note the environmental aspect — (i.e., plain sunlight exposure) as a factor correlating with positive reproductive health [or] outcomes.”
Dr. Burroughs noted: “More women than ever are delaying childbirth until their 30s and 40s for a variety of reasons including education, employment obligations, career-goals and increase[d] access to contraception. The result of delayed childbearing until the 3rd or 4th decade in life can impact fertility, because as a woman ages the ovarian reserve or number of eggs starts to decline. After the age of 35, a woman is considered advanced maternal age (AMA). This terminology reflects the correlation between age and declining fertility status.”
This study does have limitations. First, it doesn’t establish any causal relationship between the observed components.
Researchers also acknowledge that the lack of any significant association between AMH and seasons and participants between 20 and 29 years could be because of the difference in sample size between this group and the older group.
Researchers also acknowledge that they did not analyze luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) hormone levels in women aged 26–30, and this could have impacted their findings in this area.
The research also focused on one area of the world, so the results could be different if conducted in other countries. Researchers did not take into account the origin of participants in their analysis. Finally, researchers did not have access to certain clinical information, like reproductive history.
As research continues, study authors note that the potential benefits should be balanced with the possible risks of sun exposure, such as cancer or skin damage.
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