Cortisol levels in women's hair linked to IVF success

Researchers at the University of Nottingham conducted a study that found that high levels of cortisol, also known as the 'stress hormone', in the hair of women who were undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) were associated with about a third less chance of conceiving. They collected cortisol samples from the saliva and hair of 135 women who got treated in NURTURE fertility clinic in Nottingham and of which 60% conceived. They found that 27% of the variance in pregnancy outcome was linked to hair cortisol concentrations apart from other known factors that are linked to IVF success such as age, Body Mass Index (BMI), etc. The findings indicate that long term cortisol levels are likely to reduce the chances of conceiving.

Read more in Science Daily.