A report released on May 20 shows a possible connection between cholesterol levels and the time that it takes a woman to conceive.

In a study that involved 501 prospective parents, various couples were asked to participate in a Longitudinal Investigation of Fertility and the Environment (LIFE) assessment. The LIFE study is used to look at how the environment and lifestyles of potential parents could affect fertility. As part of the study, cholesterol levels were recorded on the onset of participation.

The study found that when both hopeful parents had high cholesterol, they took longer to conceive a child than those with normal levels. Couples who did not conceive during the year long study were also found to have the highest levels of cholesterol. These same delays were found in couples where the woman had elevated cholesterol but the man did not. The same did not hold true, although, for men with high levels and women with normal cholesterol levels.

Researchers still stress that while a link of some sort has been established, it is unknown whether or not high cholesterol is the precise cause of delays in conception. The study did not examine what effect cholesterol lowering medications, known as statins, had on conception rates. Nor were the effects of diet or exercise examined to determine their effects.

The results of the study, however, do not actually establish a causal link between cholesterol and the amount of time it takes for parenting hopefuls to get pregnant. Experts caution that much more time and research will be needed in order to make such a claim. In addition, while a healthy diet and exercise are certainly important for pregnant women and their babies, there is no concrete evidence that these behaviors will increase the chances of a woman conceiving within a shorter period of time.