Association of allostatic load with female infertility: Findings from national health and nutrition examination survey 2017-2020

Allostatic load (AL), which is often used to observe damage to the organism from chronic stressful stimuli, has been demonstrated to be connected to a number of harmful consequences for health. There is currently no conclusive correlation between AL and infertility. The objective of this study was to delve identify possible correlation between AL and infertility. We used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database, from 814 women of childbearing age from the United States. We investigated the relationship between AL level and infertility using logistic regression analysis. Nine biomarkers were selected from three major systems (cardiovascular, metabolic, and immune systems) to assess AL level. Regression analysis revealed that, after controlling for the total number of deliveries, marital status, moderate work activity, and family-to-poverty income ratio, each unit increase in AL was associated with a 2.2-fold higher risk of infertility. Therefore, AL warrants greater attention as a modifiable factor related to infertility.