Tablet Study
The TABLET study is a powerful research trial that has just recently published its findings in the New England Journal of Medicine. This study recruited almost 20,000 patients from 49different hospital sites and fertility clinics across the UK. The study attempts to answer the question as to whether ThyroidPeroxidase (TPO) Antibodies in the blood affect the chances of having a live baby when patients don’t have any symptoms of thyroid disease. Specifically the study looked at whether patients without thyroid disease symptoms, but found to have a raised TPO antibody level in the blood, actually had a reduced chance of having a live birth. Previously a few studies had suggested a small dose of Levothyroxine, a drug commonly used to correct thyroid problems, might increase the chances of having a live baby in these patients. We now know that this is not true.
Study Findings: The study showed that if patients were found to have high levels of TPO antibodies in the blood with a supposedly normal thyroid function there was no difference in pregnancy outcomes when patients took levothyroxine.
Endometrial Scratch
An endometrial scratch is performed around days 18-23 of the cycle preceding an IVF cycle. A small tube is passed through the cervix to scratch the inside of the womb (the endometrium). Often referred to as a treatment “add-on”, there has been much disagreement as to whether an endometrial scratch actually improves the chances of achieving a pregnancy during IVF treatment. In 2018 The PIP study, finally concluded that endometrial scratching was not associated with an improvement in live birth rates. Now additional research published combining the results of 7 different studies has shown specifically that there is no improvement in live birthrates for patients attempting IVF for the first time.
Study Findings: This recent study validates the findings of thePIP study and confirms that current evidence does not support endometrial scratching to improve IVF outcomes.
By: Dr. Ed Coats