Female fertility is considered to be at its peak around the age of 25. Beyond that, it gradually declines and collapses around the age of 38. After the age of 42, the chances of pregnancy are minimal. At the age of 45, spontaneous pregnancies are exceptional. At the same time, the risk of the pregnancy not reaching term increases with age. Indeed, the older the mother, the greater the risk of miscarriage. From the age of 43 in women, it is up to the patient and her doctor to assess the risk-benefit balance before starting an ART protocol. This will then be chargeable and not reimbursed by Social Security.
How does age influence female fertility?
As seen previously, age can have several adverse effects on ivf treatment. Consequently, age also affects the functioning of the female reproductive system. Indeed, scientific studies reveal that age influences hormonal production, the immune and inflammatory response, and even cell multiplication.
Impact of age on female fertility: oocyte quality
One of the impacts of age on female fertility concerns the impact on oocyte quality. The low chances of pregnancy in women over 40 are associated with impaired oocyte quality. Indeed, the risk of oocytes presenting an abnormal number of chromosomes and genetic mutations increases with age. This is associated with reduced production of antioxidants and increased release of mutagenic oxidative molecules.
Impact of age on female fertility: luteal phase abnormalities
Another impact that age can have on female fertility will be on the corpus luteum of the luteal phase. After ovulation, the corpus luteum ensures progesterone production during the luteal phase. With age, however, it is observed that the corpus luteum produces less of this hormone, which nevertheless plays a vital role during the early stages of pregnancy (endometrial maturation, embryo implantation, embryonic nutrition).
Impact of age on female fertility: maturation of the endometrium
The age of the woman slows down the process of cell proliferation. This is associated with increased cellular senescence (loss of cell functions). This phenomenon is responsible for a decrease in the thickness of the endometrium, which will inevitably impact female fertility. However, embryonic implantation requires that the endometrium has reached an optimal thickness.
Impact of age on female fertility: immune tolerance towards the embryo
With age, fertility is disrupted, particularly the body\'s immune and inflammatory response. However, it plays a fundamental role during pregnancy, as the mother\'s body must adapt to implantation. Thus, age disrupts the immune response of the endometrium to the embryo: immune tolerance is impaired, and the endometrium does not accept the embryo well.
Impact of age on female fertility: the hormonal function of the placenta
Beyond the other impacts on female fertility that have been highlighted, it has recently been observed that the establishment of hormonal function (notably the production of estrogen and progesterone) is delayed in the placentas of older women. This induces vascularization defects at the placenta/uterus interface: these can be the cause of the occurrence of miscarriages.
Age, therefore, has harmful effects on the entire female reproductive system: oocyte quality, hormone production, endometrial maturation, immune tolerance, and placental function are altered. These effects can be the cause of the reduced chances of pregnancy and the increased risk of miscarriage in women over 42 years of age.
Male age and its impact on fertility
In men, the "Genova Fertility " occurs between 30 and 34. Beyond that, fertility begins to decline, although this drop is much less pronounced than that observed in women.Male infertility treatment begins to decline significantly from the age of 45. Thus, 78% of men under 35 manage to conceive a child within six months, while only 58% of men over 35 succeed.
Sign in to leave a comment.