Obesity and Male Fertility: Insights from an Iranian Study
Researchers at Shahid Beheshti Medical University in Iran identify a link between obesity and reduced male fertility. The study, published in Basic and Clinical Andrology, examines how excess body weight may influence reproductive health and the potential pathways involved.
In this investigation semen samples were collected from 32 men, categorized by body mass index as obese or normal, all under 45 years of age and attending fertility clinics for evaluation. The design aimed to reflect how BMI differences relate to semen parameters in a real-world clinical setting.
Obesity was found to be negatively associated with semen volume, progressive motility, and total sperm count, as well as with the ability of sperm to survive in the reproductive environment. These associations suggest that higher body weight can impair several facets of sperm performance essential for successful conception.
Additionally, obesity was linked to increased sperm DNA fragmentation, elevated intracellular reactive oxygen species that drive oxidative stress, and a higher proportion of sperm with immature chromatin. Each of these changes is known to compromise sperm quality and can hinder fertility as well as embryonic development in early stages.
The authors indicate that understanding these effects could contribute to the development of pharmaceutical approaches to treating male infertility, offering potential new avenues for therapy and management in affected individuals. — citation: Basic and Clinical Andrology