Abstract
Background: Weight loss could improve fertility, perhaps by reducing insulin resistance.
Objectives: To assess the effect of weight loss interventions on fertility in women with obesity not recruited because of known infertility.
Search strategy: Three databases 1966-2020, trial registry.
Selection criteria: RCTs with ≥1 year follow-up, with mean cohort BMI ≥30kg/m2.
Data collection and analysis: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Primary outcome was pregnancy. Secondary outcome was weight change.
Main results: We identified 27 RCTs (5938 women). Weight loss interventions showed no statistically significant increase in pregnancies compared to control interventions (24 trials, 97 women with pregnancy; risk ratio (RR) 1.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.91 to 2.23); weight change (mean difference (MD) -2.36kg, n = 21 trials, 95% CI -3.17 to -1.55). Compared with low-fat diets, very-low-carbohydrate diets showed no statistically significant effect on women with pregnancyies, (3 trials, 14 women with pregnancy; RR 1.37, 95% CI 0.49 to 3.84) or weight change (MD -0.32kg, 95% CI -3.84 to 3.21).
Conclusions: Diet-based weight loss interventions for women with obesity not recruited because of infertility were effective at producing long term weight loss. Effects on fertility were not statistically significant, but few trials provided data. Weight loss trials should routinely collect fertility outcomes.
Objectives: To assess the effect of weight loss interventions on fertility in women with obesity not recruited because of known infertility.
Search strategy: Three databases 1966-2020, trial registry.
Selection criteria: RCTs with ≥1 year follow-up, with mean cohort BMI ≥30kg/m2.
Data collection and analysis: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Primary outcome was pregnancy. Secondary outcome was weight change.
Main results: We identified 27 RCTs (5938 women). Weight loss interventions showed no statistically significant increase in pregnancies compared to control interventions (24 trials, 97 women with pregnancy; risk ratio (RR) 1.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.91 to 2.23); weight change (mean difference (MD) -2.36kg, n = 21 trials, 95% CI -3.17 to -1.55). Compared with low-fat diets, very-low-carbohydrate diets showed no statistically significant effect on women with pregnancyies, (3 trials, 14 women with pregnancy; RR 1.37, 95% CI 0.49 to 3.84) or weight change (MD -0.32kg, 95% CI -3.84 to 3.21).
Conclusions: Diet-based weight loss interventions for women with obesity not recruited because of infertility were effective at producing long term weight loss. Effects on fertility were not statistically significant, but few trials provided data. Weight loss trials should routinely collect fertility outcomes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics |
| Early online date | 9 Dec 2022 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 9 Dec 2022 |
