Research by Dr Ana Fuentes on the age impact on female fertility, selected for ESHRE conference

A study by Dr Ana Fuentes, gynaecologist specialising in reproductive medicine and coordinator of the Low Ovarian Reserve Unit at Instituto Bernabeu, has been selected as an oral communication at the annual congress of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) to be held in Amsterdam from the 7 to 10 July 2024. The study, which evaluates the age impact on ultrasound markers related to endometrial implantation capacity, could help to improve prognoses and treatments for patients with difficulties in conceiving.

The research builds on growing evidence suggesting that, in addition to ovarian ageing, a woman’s age also plays an important role in fertility by affecting the endometrium, the lining of the uterus where the embryo implants. The study aims to assess whether there are ultrasound markers that can predict the endometrium implantation capacity as a function of the patient’s age.

‘While we have conducted previous studies to assess uterine contractility, this is the first study to analyse the relationship between patient age and specific ultrasound markers of endometrial receptivity,’ explains Dr Fuentes. ‘This information is crucial to better understand the mechanisms by which age affects fertility and to develop new treatment strategies,’ she says.

The study has identified a correlation between a woman’s age and different ultrasound markers, including endometrial compaction, uterine peristalsis and the presence of uterine pathology. These markers, in turn, are associated with the chances of embryo implantation and the risk of complications during pregnancy.

‘The study results allow us to incorporate new prognostic factors into the patients’ treatment, which helps us offer more precise and personalised medical advice,’ stresses Dr Ana Fuentes. ‘This information also opens the door to new research into therapies aimed at improving implantation in older women’.