Metabolic risk factors such as obesity are considered major obstacles to female fertility. Chronic infertility imposes psychological and social burdens on women because infertility violates societal gender roles. Although the prevalence of obesity among women is expected to increase in the future, the relevance of metabolic status for fertility is still underestimated. However, the assessment of metabolic risk factors is highly relevant for understanding fertility disorders and improving infertility treatment. This narrative review discusses the associations of metabolic risk factors (e.g. obesity, female athlete triad, oxidative stress) with significant infertility. An electronic search was conducted for studies published between 2006 and 2020 in Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar and related databases. In total, this search identified 19,309 results for polycystic ovary syndrome, 28,969 results for endometriosis, and only 1611 results for idiopathic and/or unknown infertility. For the present narrative review, 50 relevant studies were included: 19 studies were on obesity, 24 studies investigated the female athlete triad, and seven studies addressed other risk factors, including reactive oxygen species. This narrative review confirms the direct impact of obesity on female infertility, while the effect of other risk factors needs to be confirmed by large-scale population studies.
PMID 34765754 34765754 DOI 10.1016/j.rbms.2021.09.002 10.1016/j.rbms.2021.09.002
Cite this article
Westerman, R., & Kuhnt, A. (2022). Metabolic risk factors and fertility disorders: A narrative review of the female perspective. Reproductive biomedicine & society online, 14, 66-74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbms.2021.09.002
Westerman R, Kuhnt A. Metabolic risk factors and fertility disorders: A narrative review of the female perspective. Reprod Biomed Soc Online. 2022;14:66-74. doi:10.1016/j.rbms.2021.09.002
Westerman, Ronny, and Anne-Kristin Kuhnt. "Metabolic risk factors and fertility disorders: A narrative review of the female perspective." Reproductive biomedicine & society online, vol. 14, 2022, pp. 66-74.
Hilgers TW, 2004·The Medical and Surgical Practice of NaProTECHNOLOGY
Infertility is not merely a reproductive inconvenience but frequently signals systemic or hormonal pathology — including polycystic ovarian disease, endometriosis, thyroid dysfunction, and immune abnormalities — each carrying independent health risks beyond failure to conceive. Identifying and treating these underlying conditions reduces long-term morbidity and reframes infertility evaluation as a form of preventive medicine rather than a terminal bypass decision.
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We sought to better understand factors associated with ovarian aging in women with HIV (WWH).
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