Better understanding of potential modifiable risk factors with an impact on the success of assisted reproductive technology, such as lifestyle, body composition, dietary habits and micronutrient levels, is needed. Our aim was to examine the status of body composition, nutritional habits, lifestyle and vitamin B9, vitamin B12 and vitamin D levels in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) in Slovenia. We enrolled 69 volunteers when they visited Gynaecology Clinic, University Medical Centre Ljubljana between January 2023 and March 2023 to start the IVF procedure. Data were obtained by measuring body weight, assessing body composition with a BIA 101 bioimpedance analyser, and a questionnaire on sociodemographic status, dietary habits, frequency of food consumption in the past year, dietary supplement use, smoking experience and physical activity. In addition, a venous blood sample was collected for biochemical laboratory tests (vitamin B9, vitamin B12, vitamin D) at the laboratory of the Clinical Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry. The diet of the majority of participants is not in line with Slovenian dietary guidelines and as such represents a poorly controlled modifiable risk factor with a potential negative impact on the outcomes of the IVF. As many as 26 participants (37,7 %) had a body mass index that was too high (䁥 25 kg/m2) and the fact that 33 participants (47,8 %) did not meet the lower limit for the amount of physical activity recommended by the World Health Organization surely plays an important role. Vitamin B9 deficiency (< 4 ng/ml) was found in three women, vitamin B12 deficiency (< 200 pg/ml) in five women, and 44 women had an insufficient level of vitamin D (< 30 ng/ml). These findings highlight the need for nutritional counseling for couples dealing with infertility, which could potentially increase not only the success rate of IVF procedures, but also the likelihood of spontaneous conception in some cases, thereby reducing the economic and emotional burden of infertility treatment.
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