Comparison of the Effectiveness of Various Medicines in the Prevention of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome: A Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Prevention of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS): British Fertility Society policy and practice guideline

This British Fertility Society (BFS) Policy and Practice guideline aims to support clinicians in preventing ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) in patients undergoing gonadotropin ovarian stimulation. A systematic literature search of the medical databases was performed. The Guideline Development Group (GDG) identified the risk factors of OHSS before and during ovarian stimulation. The relation of different pre-treatment measures and different ovarian stimulation protocols with OHSS was evaluated. The optimal monitoring during treatment was assessed. The current evidence on preventive strategies during and after ovarian stimulation and the available adjuvant preventive agents were examined. Based on this, the GDG developed evidence-based, graded recommendations for clinical practice. The evidence was evaluated within context, considering the effectiveness, cost and practical problems of assisted reproductive technology for patients and healthcare providers. Early identification and application of preventive measures identified in this guideline may reduce the incidence of OHSS or reduce its severity. Suggestions for future research on OHSS prevention are provided.

Letrozole Cotreatment Reduces Unexpectedly Poor Responses in Ovarian Stimulation With Follitropin Delta: A Strategy to Prevent High Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) but Poor Response

BACKGROUND

Follitropin delta is a novel recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone preparation used for in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI). The dosage is determined using an original algorithm designed to achieve a target retrieval of 8-14 oocytes based on body weight and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels. However, unexpected poor responses, characterized by low oocyte retrieval numbers, occasionally occur in patients with high AMH levels who are otherwise expected to respond well. This study investigated whether cotreatment with letrozole reduces such poor responses.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study including 153 controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) cycles for IVF/ICSI using follitropin delta was performed at Haruki Ladies Clinic in Japan from October 2021 to March 2023. In total, 42 cycles were performed in the letrozole cotreatment group, and 111 cycles were performed in the group treated with follitropin delta alone. According to the concept of follitropin delta, seven or fewer oocytes retrieved were defined as a poor response.

RESULTS

An unexpectedly poor response was observed at 6.0-6.9 µg daily doses of follitropin delta. The poor response was less frequent in the cotreatment group: one of 36 cycles (2.8%) in the cotreatment group and nine of 49 cycles (18.4%) in the follitropin delta alone group (p < 0.05). At daily doses of 7.0-11.9 μg, poor response was not often observed in both groups (0% vs. 3.6%). At 12.0 μg of daily dose, poor response frequently occurred in both groups. The duration of ovarian stimulation was decreased by cotreatment with letrozole (10.4 days vs. 8.7 days, p < 0.01). Letrozole cotreatment also reduced the total dosage of follitropin delta (65.2 µg vs. 53.3 µg, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Cotreatment with letrozole may reduce unanticipated suboptimal responses in patients expected to have good responses. Additionally, it may shorten the duration of ovarian stimulation and decrease the total dosage of follitropin delta required.

Update on the therapeutic role of metformin in the management of polycystic ovary syndrome: Effects on pathophysiologic process and fertility outcomes

Influential guidelines have supported the role of metformin in the management of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) for a number of years. However, regulatory approvals for this therapeutic indication are still exceptional and exist only in a few countries, including for the originator, Glucophage®. PCOS is an insulin-resistant state, which drives hyperandrogenism and anovulatory infertility. The metabolic action of metformin involves amelioration of insulin resistance, which helps to resolve hormonal and metabolic disturbances and increases ovulation, pregnancy, and live birth rates relative to placebo. A combination of metformin with clomifene citrate (another widely used treatment for PCOS) is more effective than either alone and is a useful option in women with clomifene-resistant PCOS. Combining metformin with letrozole (1st-line agent for ovulation induction in women with PCOS and no other infertility risk factors) is not more effective than letrozole alone. Continuing metformin to the end of the 1st trimester at an effective dose (e.g. 1000-2000 mg/day) may help to reduce the rate of miscarriages. Metformin also has an adjunctive role in women with PCOS receiving assisted reproduction technology (ART) using the long gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist protocol, where it appears to increase the pregnancy rate and to reduce the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. There is no role for metformin in women receiving short ART protocols. Where a successful pregnancy is achieved, metformin is generally safe for the mother and neonate. Further research is needed to define with greater precision the optimal dosage and times to initiate and discontinue metformin in women with PCOS who achieve pregnancy.

Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS): A Narrative Review and Legal Implications

BACKGROUND

Infertility is a highly meaningful issue with potentially life-changing consequences, and its incidence has been growing worldwide. Assisted reproductive technology (ART) has made giant strides in terms of treating many infertility conditions, despite the risk of developing ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), a potentially life-threatening complication.

METHODS

This narrative review draws upon scientific articles found in the PubMed database. The search spanned the 1990-2024 period. Search strings used included "OHSS" or "ovarian hyperstimulation" and "IVF" and "GnRH" and "hCG"; 1098 results were retrieved and were ultimately narrowed down to 111 suitable sources, i.e., relevant articles dealing with the condition's underlying dynamics, management pathways, and evidence-based criteria and guidelines, crucial both from a clinical perspective and from the standpoint of medicolegal tenability.

RESULTS

The following features constitute OHSS risk factors: young age, low body weight, and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), among others. GnRH antagonist can substantially lower the risk of severe OHSS, compared to the long protocol with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist. However, a mild or moderate form of OHSS is also possible if the antagonist protocol is used, especially when hCG is used for the final maturation of oocytes. For women at risk of OHSS, GnRH agonist trigger and the freeze-all strategy is advisable. OHSS is one of the most frequent complications, with a 30% rate in IVF cycles.

CONCLUSION

Providing effective care for OHSS patients begins with early diagnosis, while also evaluating for comorbidities and complications. In addition to that, we should pay more attention to the psychological component of this complication and of infertility as a whole. Compliance with guidelines and evidence-based best practices is essential for medicolegal tenability.

Comprehensive Management of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and Secondary Infertility: Optimizing Fertility Outcomes

A 33-year-old woman with secondary infertility and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is profiled in this case report. In 2020, an in-vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection pregnancy resulted in a missed abortion, which is part of the patient's medical history. In order to enhance fertility outcomes, this case report seeks to give an overall perspective on the treatment and medical care strategy for people with PCOS and previous cases of infertility. One of the physical characteristics of PCOS, bilateral polycystic ovaries, was seen in the patient. Treatments included long-term gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist treatment, medications, and optimizing endometrial preparation. The patient was regularly monitored with routine ultrasound evaluations, hormone profiling, and psychological support. For patients with PCOS and secondary infertility, the case report emphasizes the value of individualized treatment strategies, close monitoring, and supportive care to enhance pregnancy outcomes. Clinicians handling situations similar to this one will greatly benefit from the conclusions and treatment plans offered in this case study, which emphasizes the need for a multifaceted strategy to deal with the complexity of PCOS-related infertility.

Beyond the Umbrella: A Systematic Review of the Interventions for the Prevention of and Reduction in the Incidence and Severity of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome in Patients Who Undergo In Vitro Fertilization Treatments

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is the main severe complication of ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles. The aim of the current study was to identify the interventions for the prevention of and reduction in the incidence and severity of OHSS in patients who undergo IVF not included in systematic reviews with meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and assess and grade their efficacy and evidence base. The best available evidence for each specific intervention was identified, analyzed in terms of safety/efficacy ratio and risk of bias, and graded using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBM) hierarchy of evidence. A total of 15 interventions to prevent OHSS were included in the final analysis. In the IVF population not at a high risk for OHSS, follitropin delta for ovarian stimulation may reduce the incidence of early OHSS and/or preventive interventions for early OHSS. In high-risk patients, inositol pretreatment, ovulation triggering with low doses of urinary hCG, and the luteal phase administration of a GnRH antagonist may reduce OHSS risk. In conclusion, even if not supported by systematic reviews with homogeneity of the RCTs, several treatments/strategies to reduce the incidence and severity of OHSS have been shown to be promising.

Interventions to prevent or reduce the incidence and severity of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome: a systematic umbrella review of the best clinical evidence

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a potentially life-threating iatrogenic complication of the early luteal phase and/or early pregnancy after in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. The aim of the current study was to identify the most effective methods for preventing of and reducing the incidence and severity of OHSS in IVF patients. A systematic review of systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with meta-analysis was used to assess each potential intervention (PROSPERO website, CRD 268626) and only studies with the highest quality were included in the qualitative analysis. Primary outcomes included prevention and reduction of OHSS incidence and severity. Secondary outcomes were maternal death, incidence of hospital admission, days of hospitalization, and reproductive outcomes, such as incidence of live-births, clinical pregnancies, pregnancy rate, ongoing pregnancy, miscarriages, and oocytes retrieved. A total of specific interventions related to OHSS were analyzed in 28 systematic reviews of RCTs with meta-analyses. The quality assessment of the included studies was high, moderate, and low for 23, 2, and 3 studies, respectively. The certainty of evidence (CoE) for interventions was reported for 37 specific situations/populations and resulted high, moderate, and low-to-very low for one, 5, and 26 cases, respectively, while it was not reported in 5 cases. Considering the effective interventions without deleterious reproductive effects, GnRH-ant co-treatment (36 RCTs; OR 0.61, 95% C 0.51 to 0.72, n = 7,944; I2 = 31%) and GnRH agonist triggering (8 RCTs; OR 0.15, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.47, n = 989; I2 = 42%) emerged as the most effective interventions for preventing OHSS with a moderate CoE, even though elective embryo cryopreservation exhibited a low CoE. Furthermore, the use of mild ovarian stimulation (9 RCTs; RR 0.26, CI 0.14 to 0.49, n = 1,925; I2 = 0%), and dopaminergic agonists (10 RCTs; OR 0.32, 95% CI 0.23 to 0.44, n = 1,202; I2 = 13%) coadministration proved effective and safe with a moderate CoE. In conclusion, the current study demonstrates that only a few interventions currently can be considered effective to reduce the incidence of OHSS and its severity with high/moderate CoE despite the numerous published studies on the topic. Further well-designed RCTs are needed, particularly for GnRH-a down-regulated IVF cycles.