Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Sep 6;25(17):9668.
doi: 10.3390/ijms25179668.

Association between Serum Glycated Hemoglobin Levels and Female Infertility: A Cross-Sectional Survey and Genetic Approach

Chung-Chih Liao  1   2 , Chun-I Lee  3   4   5 , Ke-Ru Liao  6 , Jung-Miao Li  7   8
Affiliations

Association between Serum Glycated Hemoglobin Levels and Female Infertility: A Cross-Sectional Survey and Genetic Approach

Chung-Chih Liao et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Female infertility affects a significant portion of the population, and recent studies suggest a potential link between glycemic control and reproductive health. This study investigates the association between serum glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels and female infertility, utilizing data from the NHANES 2017-2020 and Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1578 women aged 20-45 who attempted pregnancy for at least one year. Serum HbA1c levels were analyzed in relation to infertility status, with multivariable logistic regression models adjusting for covariates such as age, body mass index, race/ethnicity, education, marital status, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. Higher HbA1c levels were significantly associated with increased infertility risk. Each 1% increase in HbA1c was linked to higher odds of infertility (adjusted OR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.15-1.69, p = 0.003). HbA1c levels ≥ 6.5% showed the strongest association. MR analysis employed single-nucleotide polymorphisms as instrumental variables to assess the causal relationship between HbA1c and infertility, confirming a causal relationship between higher genetically predicted HbA1c levels and infertility (OR: 1.82, 95% CI: 1.33-2.49, p = 0.00018). Sensitivity analyses supported the robustness of these findings. Elevated HbA1c levels are associated with an increased risk of female infertility, suggesting the importance of glycemic control in reproductive health management.

Keywords: Mendelian randomization; cross-sectional study; female infertility; glycated hemoglobin; reproductive health.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

All authors have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Scatter plot of causal estimates for HbA1c levels on female infertility.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Forest plot of causal estimates for HbA1c levels on female infertility.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Leave-one-out analysis for association between HbA1c levels and female infertility.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Flowchart of participant selection.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Schematic diagram of the two-sample Mendelian randomization framework used to assess the causal relationship between HbA1c levels and female infertility.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Vander Borght M., Wyns C. Fertility and infertility: Definition and epidemiology. Clin. Biochem. 2018;62:2–10. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2018.03.012. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Sharma R., Biedenharn K.R., Fedor J.M., Agarwal A. Lifestyle factors and reproductive health: Taking control of your fertility. Reprod. Biol. Endocrinol. 2013;11:66. doi: 10.1186/1477-7827-11-66. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Thong E.P., Codner E., Laven J.S.E., Teede H. Diabetes: A metabolic and reproductive disorder in women. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2019;8:134–149. doi: 10.1016/S2213-8587(19)30345-6. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Cavero-Redondo I., Peleteiro B., Álvarez-Bueno C., Rodriguez-Artalejo F., Martínez-Vizcaíno V. Glycated haemoglobin A1c as a risk factor of cardiovascular outcomes and all-cause mortality in diabetic and non-diabetic populations: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open. 2017;7:e015949. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-015949. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Wu Y., Li Y., Liao X., Wang Z., Li R., Zou S., Jiang T., Zheng B., Duan P., Xiao J. Diabetes Induces Abnormal Ovarian Function via Triggering Apoptosis of Granulosa Cells and Suppressing Ovarian Angiogenesis. Int. J. Biol. Sci. 2017;13:1297–1308. doi: 10.7150/ijbs.21172. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Substances

LinkOut - more resources