This study looked at early follicular phase androgen levels, like testosterone and DHEAS, in women undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation for infertility. It included 299 stimulation cycles, comparing women with normal ovarian response to those with poor ovarian response based on Bologna criteria.
Researchers found a significant positive correlation between oocyte yield and both AMH and testosterone levels. Higher testosterone and DHEAS levels were also linked to increased odds of retrieving more than three oocytes. However, the predictive accuracy for poor ovarian response was moderate for androgens, while AMH showed strong predictive performance.
The study did not report any safety concerns, as it was observational and did not test androgen supplementation. The main reason to be cautious is that this is a retrospective, single-center cohort study, so the findings show associations, not causation.
What readers should take from this is that androgen levels may offer additional prognostic value when planning fertility treatment, but they are not a proven intervention. The research is early and not practice-changing.