About this Research Topic

Background

The prevalence of overweight/obesity and infertility has followed a parallel increasing trend over the past decades worldwide. Epidemiological data suggest a three-fold higher risk of infertility in women living with obesity compared to women with normal body weight. Although both overweight and obesity have been associated with a lower probability of conception, the risk becomes significantly greater as the body mass index increases. Available studies with long follow-up suggest that childhood obesity contributes to an increased risk of infertility later in life. Given the high prevalence of overweight / obesity in developing parts of the world, the problem affects women in both high- and low-income countries; however, limited resources in the latter make the challenge even greater.

Insulin resistance, inflammation, coagulation abnormalities, polycystic ovary syndrome, and disturbances in oocyte differentiation and maturation have been proposed as potential links between the two disorders. In some cases, obesity itself is the main source of causative mechanisms, while in others, it simply represents a mediator between infertility and a cascade of other disorders that negatively affect women's health. However, several pathophysiological aspects of this bidirectional relationship remain poorly understood. Interestingly, weight reduction has been shown to improve the probability of conception, underlining the need to implement weight loss interventions effectively to improve relevant outcomes.

The goal of this research topic is to bring together a collection of original research and review articles that individually and collectively shed light on the epidemiological, pathophysiological, clinical, and therapeutic associations between female infertility and overweight / obesity. In so doing, these insights will contribute to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms, help increase the awareness of the scientific community about this important issue, and identify gaps in current knowledge that deserve further attention by future research work.

We welcome manuscript submissions that include, but are not limited to, the following topics:

• Epidemiological associations between female infertility and overweight/obesity
• Cultural factors mediating the relationship between body weight and female infertility
• Obesity stigma and infertility
• Mechanistic perspectives on the association between obesity and female infertility
• PCOS and infertility
• Type 2 diabetes and female infertility
• Nutritional and exercise interventions to improve the probability of conception in women living with obesity
• The role of anti-obesity medications in improving fertility outcomes in women with obesity

Declaration: Topic Editor Theocharis Koufakis has received honoraria for lectures from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Pharmaserve Lilly, and Novo Nordisk, for advisory boards from Novo Nordisk and Boehringer Ingelheim, and has participated in sponsored studies by Eli-Lilly and Novo Nordisk.
Topic Editor Djordje S. Popovic has participated in sponsored studies by Novo Nordisk and Sanofi-Aventis; has received honoraria as a speaker for Abbott, Alkaloid, Amicus, AstraZeneca, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Berlin-Chemie, Eli Lilly, Galenika, Krka, Merck, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, PharmaSwiss, Sanofi-Aventis, Servier, Viatris, and Wörwag Pharma; has received financial support for attending meetings by Novo Nordisk and Sanofi-Aventis.
Topic Editor Dimitrios Patoulias has participated as an investigator in commercial clinical trials by Novo Nordisk

Keywords: Obesity, Overweight, Female infertility, Polycystic ovary syndrome, Anti-obesity medications

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