Terrible air quality is not only harmful for our lungs, according to a recent study it’s also affecting our ovaries by decreasing the number of viable eggs.
Anti- Müllerian hormone, commonly known as AMH is secreted by the ovarian cell and is recognised as a reliable marker of the ovarian reserve health. AMH levels have a tendency to fluctuate depending on smoking habits, body weight, long-term hormonal contraception, age and genetics. Lead researcher Antonio La Marca from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, added environmental factors to the list.
Having a high AMH is in some way a reproductive advantage because women with a higher AMH are going to have a longer reproductive lifespan,” he said, adding it was also significant to those undergoing.
He further added,
Envrironmental aspects of or lives matter so we should take care about indoor environments as well as external.
The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. The research involved observing AMH levels in about 1,300 women, the samples were collected in Modena between early 2007 and autumn 2017. The team estimated daily levels of nitrogen dioxide and small particulates.
After considering the decreased count of AMH in women over the age of 25, the study found lower AMH levels among women living in areas with higher air pollution. Especially, women who were residing in areas with the worst pollution levels were more likely to have AMH levels reflecting “severe ovarian reserve reduction.”
Considering the air quality of the mega cities that we live in, after giving us a life-time of respiratory disorders, the polluted air is now slowly chocking our ovarian eggs.