Relationship between the delayed-reaction type of LH-RH test and obesity in sterile women with ovulatory disturbances: a preliminary report.

We investigated 312 sterile women to look for a possible relationship between obesity and infertility. The LH-RH test was performed on 113 of these women. The obesity index was determined according to the Japanese variation of Broca's index. The results were as follows: (1) Among 312 sterile women, 8.7% were obese and one-fifth of anovulatory patients showed a tendency toward obesity. (2) The pregnancy rate was lower in obese women. (3) The delayed-reaction type in the LH-RH test was observed in 29.2% of total patients; the rate in patients with anovulation (20.4%) was lower than that in those with ovulation (37.3%). (4) The rate of the delayed-reaction type in anovulatory obese patients was 100%. This evidence shows that obesity was related to anovulation and/or infertility, as determined by the delayed-reaction type in the LH-RH test.