Медицинский совет (Sep 2021)
The role of antioxidant therapy in enhancing the effectiveness of assisted reproductive technology programs
Abstract
Introduction. Infertility, i.e. the inability to achieve a clinical pregnancy within 12 months of a regular sexual life without contraception, is a current medical problem and affects up to 15-25% of married couples in Western countries.Objective. To evaluate the efficacy of prophylactic prescription of antioxidants in preparation for cycles of assisted reproductive technology (ART) depending on the level of anthropogenic chemicals in the patient’s body.Materials and methods. A randomized clinical trial included 144 patients with infertility who applied for ART. Prior to ART treatment, all patients were determined the level of anthropogenic chemical substances (ACS) in the blood by mass spectrometry. The concentration of the following substances was determined: mercury, cadmium, lead, and bisphenol A. The patients were divided into groups depending on the level of ACS: group 1 consisted of 72 patients with high level of ACS (5 points or more), group 2 consisted of 72 patients with low level of ACS. Antioxidant therapy in the experimental group was performed for 2 months before ART. Coenzyme Q10 300 mg/day orally, eicosapentaenoic acid 300 mg/day orally, and docosahexaenoic acid 200 mg/day orally were used as antioxidant therapy. All patients in the control group did not take antioxidant medications for at least 6 months before entering the ART cycle.Results. When evaluating the clinical outcomes of ART cycles, a positive effect of antioxidant therapy was noted in both patients with high and low levels of ACS; as a result, the chances of pregnancy were 2.3 times higher in the group of patients who received antioxidant therapy compared to the control group. The number of patients treated was 5 for both the total patient group and the subgroups depending on the level of ACS.Conclusion. The results obtained allow us to recommend the prescription of antioxidant therapy to prepare patients for ART programs.
Keywords
