Women’s and men’s intake of omega-3 fatty acids and their food sources and assisted reproductive technologies outcomes
Abstract
Background: Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and their food sources have garnered interest as a potential nutrient with wide-range health benefits including fertility. Objective: To investigate the association of women’s and men’s intake of omega-3 fatty acids and omega-3 rich-foods with semen quality and outcomes of infertility treatment with assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Study Design: Couples presenting to the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) were invited to enroll in a prospective cohort-study (2007–2020). Male and female diet was assessed using a validated 131-item food-frequency questionnaire. Primary outcomes were implantation, clinical pregnancy, and live birth probabilities. Secondary outcomes included total and clinical pregnancy loss, and conventional semen parameters, for males only. We estimated the relationship of intakes of omega-3 fatty acids, nuts, and fish intake with the probability (95%CI) of study outcomes using Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMM) to account for repeated treatment cycles per participant, while simultaneously adjusting for age, BMI, smoking status, education, dietary patterns, total energy intake, and male partner diet. Results: A total of 229 couples and 410 ART cycles were analyzed for primary and secondary outcomes; 343 men contributing 896 semen samples were included in analyses for semen quality measures. Women’s DHA+EPA intake was positively associated with live birth. The multivariable-adjusted probabilities of live…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a cohort study, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 343 participants or records.
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