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Hot topics in reproductive medicine: from comorbidities to clinical decision making

Precongress Course 14


MSRM 

organized by MRSM (Mediterranean Society for Reproductive Medicine)

 


Course coordinator(s)

Antonis Makrigianakis (Greece), Dinka Pavicic Baldani (Croatia), Tatjana Motrenko Simic (Montenegro)

 

Course type

Advanced


Course description

The rising percentage of infertile couples and the trend toward delayed conception have led to an increase in medically assisted reproduction (MAR) cycles. Consequently, more women undergoing IVF treatment present with additional comorbidities. Several common conditions—including thyroid disorders, adenomyosis, and obesity—complicate treatment and may reduce success rates. While various strategies exist to address some of these associated challenges, many remain without effective solutions. 

Rising infertility rates in both sexes, combined with delayed childbearing decisions, have contributed to a continuous increase in the number of MAR cycles performed. As a result, a greater proportion of women entering IVF programs present with additional comorbidities. Several highly prevalent conditions - including thyroid disorders, adenomyosis, and obesity - can increase treatment complexity and affect its effectiveness. While some strategies have been developed to address these associated challenges, many problems remain unsolved.

In recent years, several new drugs have shown promising results in treating obesity. However, their role in infertility remains undefined, and their effects on IVF outcomes and offspring health are still unknown. Additionally, the number of frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles steadily rises year by year, and growing evidence suggests that alternative strategies - such as using GnRH agonists and ovulation induction protocols that mimic the natural cycle - could improve clinical pregnancy rates.

This course aims to address the most frequent comorbidities that impact IVF results, pregnancy outcomes, and offspring long-term health. In addition to presenting new treatment possibilities and apparently more successful approaches, the program will include clinical case presentations and interactive audience discussions with voting opportunities. Closing remarks will outline consensus approaches for treating specific conditions and highlight directions for further research.

 

Target audience

Clinicians - reproductive endocrinologists, fertility specialists, embryologists, all other professionals involved in IVF treatment and scientists



Educational needs and expected outcomes

At the conclusion of this course, participants should be able to:

  1. Understand the fundamental effect of comorbidities on IVF results, clinical pregnancy outcome and newborn long-term health
  2. Use new medication as IVF co-treatment based on current studies and deal with potential risks for patients and pregnancy
  3. Familiarise with new strategies for overcoming effect of most frequent comorbidities and improving IVF results
  4. Develop potential research targets and project for unsolved issues related to use of certain treatments in IVF and related outcomes.

 

Programme



Sunday 05 July 2026

Session 1 -Obesity across reproduction: from oocytes to offspring
Chairs
Chairperson to be announced
Chairperson to be announced
09:00 - 09:30
How obesity shapes female fertility and pregnancy
Dinka Pavicic Baldani, Croatia
09:30 - 10:00
Ready for IVF? metabolic tune-up before treatment / stimulation drugs tune up for treatment
Human Mousavi Fatemi, United Arab Emirates
10:00 - 10:30
Discussion
10:30 - 11:00
Coffee break
Session 2 - Adenomyosis & ART preparation
Chairperson to be announced
Chairperson to be announced
11:00 - 11:30
Switch off before you start: suppression strategies that work
Baris Ata, United Arab Emirates
11:30 - 12:00
Engineering the perfect window: progesterone timing & ET protocols
Nikolaos P. Polyzos, Spain
12:00 - 12:30
Discussion
12:30 - 13:30
Lunch break
Session 3 - PCOS hot topics
Chairperson to be announced
Chairperson to be announced
13:30 - 14:00
Lean vs obese PCOS: one syndrome or two diseases? how to minimise risk in ART
Speaker to be announced
14:00 - 14:30
GLP-1 & beyond: the new metabolic era in PCOS treatment
Michel De Vos, Belgium
14:30 - 15:00
Discussion
15:00 - 15:30
Coffee break
Session 4 - Autoimmunity & ART
Chairperson to be announced
Chairperson to be announced
15:30 - 16:00
TSH & TPO in IVF: what the new guidelines mean for clinical practice
Tatjana Motrenko Simic, Montenegro
16:00 - 16:30
Red flags and green lights: managing severe autoimmune disease like SLE and APS in ART safe to start? immunomodulation and anticoagulation before pregnancy
Antonis Makrigiannakis, Greece
16:30 - 16:50
Discussion
16:50 - 17:00
Closing remarks