Medical conditions or treatments may affect fertility, researchers say
WebMD News from HealthDay
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Defects in sperm within semen may be linked to a variety of health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, and skin and glandular disorders, a new study suggests.
The defects probably don't cause these problems. It's more likely that semen quality reflects overall health, the researchers said.
"It may be that infertility is a marker for sickness overall," said lead researcher Dr. Michael Eisenberg, an assistant professor of urology and director of male reproductive medicine and surgery at the Stanford School of Medicine in Palo Alto, Calif.
Semen is the fluid that's released when a man ejaculates. Within that fluid are sperm. Sperm defects can affect the quality of semen. Sperm defects include too few sperm, sperm that don't move well (motility) or low-quality sperm, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).
"There are a lot of factors that involve a man's overall health that turn out to impair sperm production," Eisenberg said.
Treating conditions such as high blood pressure might improve sperm quality, he noted. However, Eisenberg said he isn't sure whether the condition itself is linked to sperm defects or if drugs used to treat health problems are to blame.
"Many things we didn't know about or think about may impact a man's fertility," he said. "It might be treatment for high blood pressure that is causing sperm problems."
Genetics may also play a part, Eisenberg suggested. "About 10 percent of the genes in a man's body are involved in sperm production, so it is possible that some of these genes may have overlapping effects on other functions," he said.
In the study published online Dec. 10 in the journal Fertility and Sterility, Eisenberg's group compared the health of men who had semen defects with men who didn't.
The researchers found that 44 percent of men with semen defects also had other health problems. These included high blood pressure, and heart and blood vessel disease.
In addition, as the number of other health conditions -- such as skin disease or glandular problems -- increased, so too did the likelihood of semen issues, according to the study.
source : Poor Sperm Quality May Signal Health Issues, Study Finds
