Cortisol-to-cortisone ratio postpartum is associated with anti-Müllerian hormone a decade later: evidence from a prospective study

Key Points

• To investigate the relationship between the cortisol-to-cortisone ratio postpartum and anti-Müllerian hormone levels ten years later.
• Longitudinal prospective study design
• Measured cortisol and cortisone levels postpartum
• Assessed AMH levels a decade later
• Analyzed data by tertiles of stress hormone levels
• Higher cortisol-to-cortisone ratio is associated with lower AMH levels
• Effects are particularly pronounced in mothers with the highest tertile of stress hormones
• Findings suggest a link between stress hormone imbalance and ovarian aging