Luteal phase deficiency in regularly menstruating women: prevalence and overlap in identification based on clinical and biochemical diagnostic criteria
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-2014
Publication Title
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism
Abstract
CONTEXT: Although adequate luteal hormone production is essential for establishing pregnancy, luteal phase deficiency (LPD) is poorly characterized among eumenorrheic women. OBJECTIVE: We assessed the prevalence and overlap of two established LPD diagnostic criteria: short luteal phase duration less than10 days (clinical LPD) and suboptimal luteal progesterone of 5 ng/mL or less (biochemical LPD) and their relationship with reproductive hormone concentrations. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: We conducted a prospective study in western New York (2005-2007) following 259 women, aged 18-44 years, for up to two menstrual cycles. RESULTS: Among ovulatory cycles with recorded cycle lengths (n = 463), there were 41 cycles (8.9%) with clinical LPD, 39 cycles (8.4%) with biochemical LPD, and 20 cycles (4.3%) meeting both criteria. Recurrent clinical and biochemical LPD was observed in eight (3.4%) and five (2.1%) women, respectively. Clinical and biochemical LPD were each associated with lower follicular estradiol (both P ≤ .001) and luteal estradiol (P = .03 and P = .02, respectively) after adjusting for age, race, and percentage body fat. Clinical, but not biochemical, LPD was associated with lower LH and FSH across all phases of the cycle (P ≤ .001). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical and biochemical LPD were evident among regularly menstruating women. Estradiol was lower in LPD cycles under either criterion, but LH and FSH were lower only in association with shortened luteal phase (ie, clinical LPD), indicating that clinical and biochemical LPD may reflect different underlying mechanisms. Identifying ovulation in combination with a well-timed luteal progesterone measurement may serve as a cost-effective and specific tool for LPD assessment by clinicians and researchers.
Recommended Citation
Schliep, K.C., Mumford, S.L., Hammoud, A.O., Stanford, J.B., Kissell, K.A., Sjaarda, L.A., Perkins, N.J., Ahrens, K.A., Wactawski-Wende, J., Mendola, P., & Schisterman, E.F. (2014). Luteal phase deficiency in regularly menstruating women: prevalence and overlap in identification based on clinical and biochemical diagnostic criteria. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 99(6),E1007-1014
Comments
Copyright © 2014 by the Endocrine Society This work was supported by the Intramural Research Program, National Insitute of Health, National Institutes of Health, National Institutes of Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health (Grant HHSN275200403394C).