How Anti-Müllerian Hormone Can Help Diagnose PCOS

The female body has a hormone known as the Anti-Mullerian hormone. It is secreted by the ovaries as they get ready to release an egg during the menstrual cycle. This particular hormone is used to determine the ovarian reserve while managing infertility and ovarian aging.

Ovarian Follicles And AMH And PCOS

An ovarian follicle is a tiny sac filled with fluid and is present in the ovaries. There are thousands of such follicles that contain premature eggs, present in the ovary. The AMH or Anti-Mullerian Hormone is secreted by the ovarian follicles which are also known as antral follicles. 

PCOS or polycystic ovarian syndrome is an endocrine disorder which takes place in women of reproductive age. PCOS has various causes and mainly causes irregular or skipped periods, an increase in androgens (male hormone) in females, hirsutism, infertility etc. Due to PCOS, a person has to go through extreme hormonal imbalances in the body. 

There is a major connection between Anti-mullerian hormones, PCOS and ovarian follicles. Resting follicles is another name for antral follicles. On the ovaries, follicles develop and undergo modifications throughout the menstrual cycle. The antral follicles develop towards the later stages of the cycle. The follicles eventually reach the conclusion of their development and reach maturity. A fully developed follicle has the capacity to deliver an egg. Ovulation is the term for this.

The greater a person's AMH levels, the more antral follicles they have. AMH levels can be used by doctors to assess how many follicles a person has. This is referred to as ovarian reserve. AMH is also used to determine whether or not a person has PCOS.

Function Of AMH

The role of AMH and whether or not your levels are normal are determined by your age and gender. AMH is essential for the development of sex organs in a developing newborn. A baby's reproductive organs begin to mature during the early weeks of pregnancy. The infant will already have the genes to be either a boy or a girl (XY genes) (XX genes).

If the kid has male (XY) DNA, large quantities of AMH and other male hormones are produced. This inhibits the development of female organs while encouraging the growth of masculine organs. If there is insufficient AMH to prevent the development of female organs, organs of both sexes may develop. When this occurs, the genitals of a neonate may not be easily defined as male or female. This is referred to as ambiguous genitalia. This syndrome is also known as intersex.

Small levels of AMH are produced if the unborn infant possesses female (XX) genes. This permits female reproductive organs to mature. After puberty, AMH plays a distinct role in females. At that point, the ovaries (the glands that produce egg cells) begin producing AMH. The higher the amount of AMH, the more egg cells there are.

What AMH Levels Mean?

You could have polycystic ovarian syndrome if you have a high amount of AMH (PCOS). PCOS cannot be cured, but its symptoms may be controlled with medication and/or dietary and lifestyle adjustments include eating a nutritious diet and shaving or waxing excess body hair. 

AMH levels in women can provide information regarding fertility, or the capacity to become pregnant. The test may also be used to aid in the diagnosis of menstruation abnormalities or to track the health of women suffering from specific forms of ovarian cancer. Also know about pcos symptoms pain.

A low amount might make it more difficult for you to conceive. It could also signal the beginning of menopause. It's typical for women after menopause and young girls to have low levels of AMH.

How AMH Helps Diagnose PCOS

PCOS is diagnosed using a combination of serum AMH and testosterone levels. To understand whether a person has PCOS, here are a few symptoms that are tell tale signs:

• Missed periods, irregular cycles, or very light cycles
• big ovaries or ovaries with numerous cysts
• excessive body hair, especially on the back, stomach, and chest (hirsutism)
• gaining weight, particularly around the abdomen (abdomen)
• greasy skin or acne
• baldness with a male pattern or thinning hair
• Infertility
• little bits of extra skin around the neck or under the arms (skin tags)
• areas of thick or dark skin behind the breasts, in the armpits, and on the back of the neck

If the usual symptoms of PCOS are not present, you should look out for the symptoms of low AMH that you need to look out for:

• Shorter menstrual cycles 
• Irregular periods
• Cessation of menstrual cycle

Irregular Or Missed Periods

One of the first signs of early onset of PCOS is missed or irregular periods. If a person is experiencing irregular periods or there’s a change in the normal menstrual cycle they must visit a doctor. Getting a proper diagnosis is crucial in fixing the condition of PCOS. 

PCOS is easier to manage when you start working towards the treatment early on. AMH is a vital part of  diagnosing PCOS and using this, the patient can get a headstart. This is a complete overview of the benefits and advantages of AMH. 

Conclusion

The ovarian follicles, also known as antral follicles, release AMH, or Anti-Mullerian Hormone. Doctors may utilize AMH levels to determine how many follicles a person has. AMH levels may provide information about fertility, or the ability to conceive. The test might potentially be used to help in the detection of menstrual irregularities or to monitor the health of women suffering from certain types of ovarian cancer. PCOS is diagnosed by measuring serum AMH and testosterone levels. An anti-mullerian hormone PCOS diagnosis is considered more accurate in determining whether a person over the age of 35 has PCOS or not and the person may benefit from getting this particular test done. 

FAQS

1. How Is PCOS Diagnosed With AMH?

An anti-mullerian hormone PCOS diagnosis is considered more accurate in determining whether a person over the age of 35 has PCOS or not. High levels of AMH could suggest that a person has PCOS even if they don’t have the common symptoms for it. 

2. Why Is Anti Mullerian Hormone High In PCOS?

Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is produced by the granulosa cells of the pre-antral and small antral follicles of the ovary. It is much greater in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) due to an increased number of antral follicles and higher output per antral follicle.

3. What are the common ranges of AMH level with PCOS?

Although people debate on how to define average AMH levels, the following are common ranges: 

• Normal - 1.0 and 3.0 ng/mL. 
• Low - less than 1.0 ng/mL. 
• Very low - 0.4 ng/mL.

4. Do People With PCOS Have High AMH?

Yes, people with PCOS have high levels of anti-mullerian hormones. Due to a greater number of antral follicles there is a higher output of AMH.