Fertility - Infertility

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Fertility and Infertility

Risk Factors

NEWS:

Diabetes may be damaging men's sperm - study "They found that while semen volume was lower in diabetic men, all other measures including sperm concentration, output, form, structure and ability to move appeared normal. However, when they looked at the DNA, they found much more damage in the sperm of diabetic men. Sperm damage can impair male fertility and has been associated in couples with a history of miscarriages, the team notes in the journal Human Reproduction. "

Eating trans fats may increase infertility risk "The more trans fats a woman eats, the more likely she is to be infertile, Dr. Jorge E. Chavarro of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and colleagues found."

Having male twin reduces woman's fertility: study "Women who have a male twin are less likely to marry and have children, perhaps because of being exposed to their brother's testosterone for nine months in the womb, researchers reported on Monday. A study of Finnish twins showed that women were 25 percent less likely to have children if their twin was a male. Those who did have children gave birth to an average of two fewer babies than women who had a twin sister. "

Male Infertility Often Caused By Varicose Veins In The Scrotum, Simple Surgery Can Correct "A first report shows that a common cause of male infertility — varicoceles, or varicose veins in the scrotum — also results in a depletion of testosterone. In a second related finding, researchers demonstrate that once a common, simple surgery is used to treat varicoceles and thereby restore fertility, testosterone levels are also improved."

Older brother 'dampens fertility'

Sugar and Sperm Don't Mix "Add infertility to the lengthy list of medical problems associated with diabetes. The first research to examine the relationship between the disease and reproductive health suggests that diabetic men carry a much higher percentage of sperm with damaged DNA than do their healthy counterparts."

The Claim: Regular Use of Hot Tubs Can Hurt Fertility in Men

Uterus lining involved in obese women's infertility"The lining of the uterus or "endometrium" appears to play a small but significant role in reducing fertility among women who are overweight, Spanish researchers report. The findings, they say, show that overweight and obese women undergoing infertility treatment with donor eggs should try to lose weight before becoming pregnant, which will give them the best chance of a good outcome. "

ARTICLES:

JOURNAL ARTICLES:

A frequent Y chromosome b2/b3 subdeletion shows strong association with male infertility in Han-Chinese population. (Hum Reprod. 2007)

Association of Oral Contraceptive Use, Other Contraceptive Methods, and Infertility with Ovarian Cancer Risk. (Am J Epidemiol. 2007)

Dietary fatty acid intakes and the risk of ovulatory infertility. (Am J Clin Nutr. 2007) "CONCLUSION: trans Unsaturated fats may increase the risk of ovulatory infertility when consumed instead of carbohydrates or unsaturated fats commonly found in nonhydrogenated vegetable oils."

Effect of cell phone usage on semen analysis in men attending infertility clinic: an observational study. (Fertil Steril. 2007) "CONCLUSION(S): Use of cell phones decrease the semen quality in men by decreasing the sperm count, motility, viability, and normal morphology. The decrease in sperm parameters was dependent on the duration of daily exposure to cell phones and independent of the initial semen quality."

Effects of cellular phone emissions on sperm motility in rats. (Fertil Steril. 2007) "CONCLUSION(S): These results suggest that carrying cell phones near reproductive organs could negatively affect male fertility."

[Extent of sperm DNA damage in spermatozoa from men examined for infertility. Relationship with oxidative stress.] (Rev Med Chil. 2007) "Conclusions: Sperm DNA damage is significantly increased in men with idiopathic oligozoospermia and in cryptorchid subjects. The finding of increased ROS levels may indicate that seminal oxidative stress may be involved in the pathogenesis of sperm DNA damage in these patients."

Fibroids and female reproduction: a critical analysis of the evidence. (Hum Reprod Update. 2007)

Impact of Obesity on female reproductive health: British Fertility Society, Policy and Practice Guidelines. (Hum Fertil (Camb). 2007) "Even a moderate weight loss of 5 - 10% of body weight can be sufficient to restore fertility and improve metabolic markers."

Increase of oxidative stress in human sperm with lower motility. (Fertil Steril. 2007)

Is Prenatal Exposure to Tobacco Smoking a Cause of Poor Semen Quality? A Follow-up Study. (Am J Epidemiol. 2007) "These results indicate that prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke may have an adverse effect on semen quality and, if these associations are causal, they could explain some of the reported differences between populations and secular changes in semen quality."

Lupus Treatment Linked to Male Fertility Problems "Sperm abnormalities in men with lupus may be linked to intravenous treatment with the immunosuppressant cyclophosphamide (IV CYC), according to Brazilian researchers."

Male factor infertility: a twin study. (Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2007)

Male infertility. (J Urol. 2007)

Male infertility and variation in CAG repeat length in the androgen receptor gene: a meta-analysis. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007)

Male infertility in Kuwait. Etiologic and therapeutic aspects. (Saudi Med J. 2007) "CONCLUSION: From an etiological point of view, we believe that the high incidence of Sertoli cell-only-syndrome among nationals and residents of a country that underwent a major environmental insult strengthens the chances of an environmental role in the development of this syndrome."

Male infertility: role of genetic background. (Reprod Biomed Online. 2007)

Manganese levels affect sperm quality "They found that men with high manganese levels had a greater than 5-fold higher likelihood of low sperm motility, meaning that less than 50 percent of their sperm were moving. Men with high manganese levels were also 2.4-fold more likely to have low sperm counts. Low blood manganese levels were also associated with low sperm motility and concentration, although not as strongly. It makes sense, Wirth's team writes, that low manganese might adversely affect sperm, given that this mineral plays a critical role in many metabolic processes, including reproduction. "

Men's body mass index and infertility. (Hum Reprod. 2007) "CONCLUSIONS This study adds further support that men with excess body weight are at increased risk of infertility. Values may be underestimated because the most severe cases, couples who do not conceive, are not included in this birth cohort. Research is needed to see if weight loss improves fertility for these men."

Obesity and infertility. (Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes. 2007)

Origins and consequences of DNA damage in male germ cells. (Reprod Biomed Online. 2007) "There are many possible causes of such DNA damage, including abortive apoptosis, the oxidative stress associated with male genital tract infection, exposure to redox cycling chemicals, and defects of spermiogenesis associated with the retention of excess residual cytoplasm. Physical factors such as exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation or mild scrotal heating can also induce DNA damage in mammalian spermatozoa, although the underlying mechanisms are unclear."

Parental Infertility and Semen Quality in Male Offspring: A Follow-up Study. (Am J Epidemiol. 2007)

Primary male infertility in Kuwait: a cytogenetic and molecular study of 289 infertile Kuwaiti patients. (Andrologia. 2007)

Puzzling condition humiliating to many women " ... polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition that stops regular ovulation, triggers an increase in masculinizing hormones and is a leading cause of infertility. PCOS gets its name from the small ovarian cysts commonly seen in patients. The syndrome now affects one in 15 women worldwide, according to a recent report by Australian researchers. The report predicts that as obesity rates increase, so will cases of PCOS."

Relationship between age and semen parameters in men with normal sperm concentration: analysis of 6022 semen samples. (Andrologia. 2007)

Reproductive disorders associated with pesticide exposure. (J Agromedicine. 2007)

Reproductive toxicity of low-level lead exposure in men (Environmental Research 2007) " … indicated a lead-related increase in immature sperm concentration, in percentages of pathologic sperm, wide sperm, round sperm, and short sperm, in serum levels of testosterone and estradiol, and a decrease in seminal plasma zinc and in serum prolactin. These reproductive effects were observed at low-level lead exposure …"

Sperm count and sperm motility in incidental high-grade varicocele. (Fertil Steril. 2007)

Sperm DNA fragmentation in infertile men with genitourinary infection by Chlamydia trachomatis and Mycoplasma. (Fertil Steril. 2007)

Subfecundity in overweight and obese couples. (Hum Reprod. 2007) "CONCLUSIONS Couples have a high risk of being subfecund if they are both obese."

Thyroid Disease and Female Reproduction (Clin Endocrinol. 2007) "Before ovarian follicles are expelled, oocyte maturation demands a favourable endocrine environment, including normal levels of thyroid hormones. The major factors that establish uterine receptivity for implantation and further embryo development are progesterone, oestrogens and the immunological system.[1] Infertility and reproductive impairment can be compromised by abnormalities in both the endocrine and the immune system. A close interplay between thyroid hormones and normal steroid action and secretion exists, necessary for normal ovarian function and thus fertility. Women with thyroid dysfunction often have menstrual irregularities, infertility and increased morbidity during pregnancy."

[Varicocele and male infertility: AFU 2006 guidelines] (Prog Urol. 2007) "The routine assessment of an infertile man with varicocele must comprise complete clinical interview including the patient's medical and reproductive history, physical examination and at least two sperm counts. Imaging examinations are not indicated to characterize the varicocele, except when physical examination is inconclusive. However; scrotal ultrasound can be useful in infertile men to detect concomitant diseases, especially testicular tumours. … After treatment of varicocele, a sperm count must be performed approximately every three months for one year or until pregnancy is achieved."

Women and celiac disease: association with unexplained infertility. (Minerva Med. 2007)

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