Adenomyosis reduces IVF success by ~30%
Adenomyosis reduces the chances of successful IVF by approximately 30%, with junctional zone involvement tripling miscarriage risk.
Snapshot · The Peter Attia Drive
#397 ‒ Endometriosis and adenomyosis: diagnosis, fertility, reproductive aging, and emerging treatments | Renato Tomioka, M.D., Ph.D.
Explore episode
Jun 22, 2026
Where this was said
Clinical case example #3: Managing adenomyosis after failed IVF transfers to improve implantation and pregnancy outcomes
At 1:17:00 · chapter starts 1:10:09
The third case is a 32-year-old with frozen embryos and two failed transfers who arrives without a prior diagnosis of adenomyosis. Tomioka frames this as 'very common.' The mechanism of failure is not implantation per se but pregnancy maintenance: adenomyosis disrupts the junctional zone, triggering uterine contractions that expel the embryo between weeks 6 and 8. [1] — Renato Tomioka "Adenomyosis reduces IVF success by ~30%: Adenomyosis reduces the chances of successful IVF by approximately 30%, with junctional zone invol…" 1:17:00 The fix is not surgical (adenomyomas aside, adenomyosis cannot be excised without a hysterectomy) but hormonal: 2 to 4 months of GnRH agonist treatment (Lupron, goserelin) creating chemical menopause, followed by a frozen embryo transfer using minimal estrogen and high progesterone. Published data show this approach meaningfully improves implantation and live birth rates while reducing miscarriage. [2] — Renato Tomioka "GnRH agonist treatment before embryo transfer: Two to four months of GnRH agonist (e.g., Lupron) therapy before embryo transfer in women wi…" 1:11:35 The distinction between GnRH agonists (which cause an initial flare before downregulating the receptor) and the newer, more expensive oral antagonists (elagolix, relugolix — about $1,000/month) is explained; both work, but agonists have more data and are far cheaper in Brazil. Tomioka also discusses the broader pregnancy risks for women with adenomyosis: preterm birth, preeclampsia, small for gestational age, and elevated C-section rates — and that adenomyosis with junctional zone involvement carries a threefold higher miscarriage risk.
Adenomyosis and IVF: How to Turn 2 Failed Transfers Into a Live Birth
Women with adenomyosis who fail repeated IVF transfers are often missing one key step: 2 to 4 months of GnRH agonist therapy before the embryo transfer. This chemically suppresses estrogen, quiets adenomyosis-driven uterine contractions, and meaningfully improves live birth rates.
GnRH agonist treatment before embryo transfer
Two to four months of GnRH agonist (e.g., Lupron) therapy before embryo transfer in women with adenomyosis significantly improves implantation and live birth rates while reducing miscarriage.
Endometrioma Surgery and AMH: The Double-Edged Sword
Endometrioma cysts are pseudo-cysts tightly adhered to ovarian cortex where primordial follicles live. Strip them out and you can reduce AMH by 40 to 50%. Leave them in and the Fenton reaction destroys follicles through hydroxyl radical toxicity. The right move: harvest eggs first, then decide on surgery.
Cystectomy can reduce AMH by 40–50%
Removing endometrioma cysts surgically can reduce ovarian reserve (measured by AMH) by 40 to 50% because follicles adjacent to the cyst wall are stripped away.
Similar snapshots
500 self-help techniques → 12 levers
Spencer Greenberg and Jeremy Stevenson analyzed almost 500 self-improvement techniques and found they all reduce to just 12 underlying psychological drivers.
Cold exposure: weak long-term evidence
Cold exposure has good short-term alertness benefits but the evidence base for long-term health benefits is much weaker than popularly believed.
20 habit techniques tested; almost none worked
In a randomized study of 20 habit-formation techniques run on hundreds of people, almost none of the techniques produced statistically meaningful results.
Tiny habit users stick to the FULL habit more
People given a tiny-habit fallback option (e.g. 10 squats instead of gym) were actually MORE successful at completing the full habit, not less.
Habit reflection = standout technique
The most effective habit-formation technique was 'habit reflection' — recalling a past successful habit, writing down what helped, then applying those lessons to a new habit.
Behavioral activation rivals CBT for depression
A study found that simply scheduling enjoyable activities was as effective as standard cognitive behavioral therapy for depression, leading to its own therapy called behavioral activation.
Worry time: batch all worries to 5 PM
The 'worry time' technique — deferring all worries to a designated time of day — helps people realize they have more control over worry than they thought and reveals it is less useful than it feels.
Sleeping faster by trying to stay awake
A study found that participants told to try to stay awake while in bed fell asleep faster than participants told to try to sleep — illustrating the paradox of direct effort.
Social anxiety eliminated in ~6 months
Spencer Greenberg reduced his severe social anxiety dramatically in roughly 6 months through a structured exposure therapy hierarchy, culminating in asking strangers for hugs.
