Timing clinic visits to phases of the menstrual cycle by using a fertility monitor: the BioCycle Study
Open accessAbstract
Planning study visits during specific menstrual cycle phases is important if the exposure or outcome is influenced by hormonal variation. However, hormone profiles differ across cycles and across women. The value of using fertility monitors to time clinic visits was evaluated in the BioCycle Study (2005-2007). Women aged 18-44 years (mean, 27.4) with self-reported menstrual cycle lengths of 21-35 days were recruited in Buffalo, New York, for 2 cycles (n = 250). Participants were provided with home fertility monitors that measured urinary estrone-3-glucuronide and luteinizing hormone (LH). The women were instructed to visit the clinic for a blood draw when the monitor indicated an LH surge. The monitor recorded a surge during 76% of the first cycles and 78% of the second cycles. Scheduling visits by using set cycle days or algorithms based on cycle length, such as a midcycle window or a window determined by assuming a fixed luteal phase length, would be simpler. However, even with perfect attendance in a 3-day window, these methods would have performed poorly, capturing the monitor-detected LH surge only 37%-57% of the time. Fertility monitors appear to be useful in timing clinic visits in a compliant population with flexible schedules.
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All participants had peak progesterone levels consistent with an ovulatory cycle.
“All participants showed peak P4 levels consistent with an ovulatory cycle (Howards et al., 2009).”
From Reproductive steroids and ADHD symptoms across the menstrual cycle (2018) · cites this paper as Howards et al., 2009
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- Authors
- Howards, P. P., Schisterman, E. F., Wactawski-Wende, J., Reschke, J. E., Frazer, A. A., & Hovey, K. M.
- Affiliations
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (US)
- National Institutes of Health (US)
- Emory University (US)
- Venue
- American Journal of Epidemiology
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2008-10-08
- Volume
- 169
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 105-112
- ISSN
- 0002-9262 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-6256
- PMC
- PMC2720703
- OpenAlex
- W2144448463
- Cited by
- 113
- References
- 14
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 7.59
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- American Journal of Epidemiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (NIH0014367067)
- University at Buffalo
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Reproductive Health and Contraception
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Hypothalamic control of reproductive hormones
- Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Statistics and Probability › Statistical Methods in Epidemiology
- Keywords
- menstrual cycle phases, luteinizing hormone surge, home monitoring, luteal phase length, cycle length
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Data Collection, Estradiol, Estrone, Female, Follicle Stimulating Hormone, Humans, Luteinizing Hormone, Maryland, Menstrual Cycle, Office Visits, Ovulation Detection, Progesterone, Retrospective Studies, Time Factors, United States, Biomarkers, Fertile Period
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