Relationship between hair and salivary cortisol and pregnancy in women undergoing IVF.

Evidence for an association between cortisol and clinical pregnancy in women undergoing In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) is mixed with previous studies relying exclusively on short term measures of cortisol in blood, saliva, urine, and/or follicular fluid. Hair sampling allows analysis of systemic levels of cortisol over the preceding 3-6 months. The present study sought to explore the relationship between cortisol and clinical pregnancy outcome in women undergoing IVF utilising multiple indices of cortisol derived from both saliva and hair measured prior to commencing gonadotrophin treatment.

The association of physiological cortisol and IVF treatment outcomes: a systematic review.

Purpose: A systematic review was conducted to (1) collate and synthesise the available evidence for the role of cortisol in relation to IVF treatment outcomes; (2) to establish the strength of an association between cortisol and IVF; and (3) to assess the overall quality of the studies and guide future research in this area.

Methods: Seven electronic databases, including the reference lists of published papers, were searched. Inclusion criteria qualified any prospective/observational cohort study that reported original data.