AMH - what does it mean?

AMH or anti-mullerian hormone is a test done to test your ovarian reserve or in lay man terms how fertile you are or to see has ageing affected your ovaries.

This test along with an ultrasound done by a fertility specialist to measure AFC (Antral follicular count) forms the backbone of any infertility consult.

The good thing about AMH is that it is a fairly consistent result with little variability during menstrual cycle. Hence the day of cycle do not affect its value unlike FSH.

However it is important to get it tested in good labs with Availability of Gen 2 or automated assays

What does different value mean?

So you have got the test done and there is a number there-what does it mean

1. AMH level > 3 ng/ml - indicator of PCOS- chances of retrieving good number of eggs in IVF
2. AMH level 1-3 ng/ml- normal values
3. AMH level, < 1>poor ovarian reserve- number of eggs retrieved might be low

So in an IVF cycle AMH might help us in quantifying the number of eggs which will be available. More the number of eggs- more selection of better embryos and maybe better pregnancy rate.

However AMH does not tell about the quality of eggs

Can I increase my AMH value?

This is a question frequently asked to an IVF specialist when faced with poor AMH values. AMH is the marker of remaining eggs in the ovary of a women which is related to the process of ageing. As we cannot time travel to our teenage years, we can't reverse the effects of ageing. However with the advent of modern science, with better techniques and drugs available, IVF offers a better chance of conception in patients with low AMH values.

When should I go for IVF?

Undergoing IVF sooner rather than later will give us better pregnancy rate and better chances of a healthy motherhood.

To summarize, making an informed decision with your fertility specialist is the way to go.