Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) Test

What Is an Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) Test?

Hormones play a big role in your reproductive health, including whether or not you’re able to successfully get pregnant. An anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) test measures the amount of a hormone called AMH is in your blood. In women, AMH testing gives your gynecologist important information on your egg count, and it can also be used to detect an ovarian mass.
Dr. Felix Cohen is a board certified obstetrician and gynecologist. He’s the founder and director of Cohen Medical Practice in Midtown New York City.

In addition to the full range of fertility services, Dr. Cohen provides a wide range of services in feminine health, gynecological surgery and diagnosis and treatment of gynecological conditions, as well as:

What Is Anti-Müllerian Hormone?

Anti-müllerian hormones are produced in both men and women. In women, this hormone is made by the ovaries and in men, it’s made in the testicles until puberty when levels start to decrease. In women, the ovaries are the glands where eggs are formed and stored and they’re also where female hormones are produced.

Proper levels and functions of AMH are vital to a healthy pregnancy because:

It helps form the reproductive organs in unborn female babies.
A set of ducts called the müllerian ducts develop into the uterus, fallopian tubes and top of the vagina.
The level of AMH in females stays low in female children until puberty, when the ovaries begin to make more of this hormone.

A high level of AMH in healthy women of childbearing age indicates a large supply of eggs. As women age, the number of eggs that remain decrease and the level of AMH also decreases. At menopause, the level of AMH drops to zero and no eggs remain.

Why Is AMH Testing Done?

AMH fertility testing provides information to doctors to help them better estimate the probability of success with fertility treatments.

While an AMH test is often done as part of fertility testing, other reasons for this testing include:

In fertility testing, higher levels of AMH mean there’s a good chance you will respond to fertility drugs.
AMH testing can help diagnose and monitor some types of ovarian cancer and show whether treatments are working. It can also show whether cancer has returned after you’ve had treatment.
If you have signs of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), this test may be used to determine if you have this condition. Symptoms of PCOS include weight gain, acne, irregular periods and dark patches of skin.

AMH testing may also be done to find out if you’re in menopause or getting close to menopause. The average age of menopause is 52, but some women experience early menopause for unknown reasons or because of surgical removal of the uterus or surgical removal of the ovaries. Medical treatments such as chemotherapy may also cause early menopause.

What Is Ovarian Reserve Testing?

Women are born with all the eggs they have over their lifetime. As time passes, the number of eggs that remain in the ovaries decreases. An egg reserve test is done to estimate the number of eggs that remain, which helps your CMP doctor determine the best approach to fertility treatment.

Ovarian reserve testing includes:

AMH test for fertility
Follicle stimulation hormone testing
Ultrasound

Information gathered from these tests helps your doctor know the approximate quantity of eggs that you have remaining. However, these tests don’t provide information on whether your remaining eggs are of high quality since egg quality is mainly related to age and can’t be tested.

What Do AMH Test Levels Mean?

Testing your AMH level is a simple blood test, so no special preparation is needed before having it done. It doesn’t have to be scheduled during a specific part of your monthly cycle, because the levels stay approximately the same throughout the month. AMH is measured in nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL).

Ranges of AMH Levels include:

Under 0.5 ng/mL is considered severely low.
Lower than 1.0 ng/mL is considered low.
Between 1.0 and 4.0 ng/mL is usually considered average.
Over 4.0 ng/mL is considered high and may indicate PCOS.

After you’ve had the AMH test, your doctor should have the results back within a few days and can give you additional information about the results of this test and any other testing that was done. If this test and other factors point to PCOS, your doctor may prescribe medication. If you’re trying to get pregnant, AMH test results and other factors, like your age and previous medical history, give your doctor information on the best fertility medication or treatment to try and the likelihood of success.

When you have Dr. Felix Cohen as your GYN provider, you’re in the best possible hands for fertility services and the full range of other feminine conditions. If you have concerns about your reproductive health or need a routine examination, contact Cohen Medical Practice today to schedule an appointment.