Diabetes and Weight Affect Male Fertility
Several studies have shown a link between female
infertility and obesity. Female diabetes has been linked to miscarriage and
birth defects. Little data has been published on the effect of male weight and
infertility. A new study shows diabetes and being overweight has a negative
effect on male fertility.
Diabetes is a disease associated with high blood
sugar. The body normally produces a hormone called insulin, which regulates
blood sugar and keeps it low. People can develop diabetes from a failure to make
insulin (Type 1) or resistance to insulin (Type 2). The most common reason that
people develop insulin resistance is being overweight or obese.
In the last few decades, a higher percentage of
Americans have become overweight. As a result, the rate of diabetes is
increasing by a huge amount.
Sperm DNA Damage
A study conducted out of Belfast, Ireland was
presented at the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology. The
research suggests that semen from diabetes patients looks normal under the
microscope, but when examined more closely and compared to men with proven
fertility, the sperm DNA seems to be significantly altered.
DNA is the hereditary material located in cells.
Some of the DNA is divided into discrete portions called genes. Each gene has a
unique function. For the function of the gene to be carried out, the cell takes
the information in the DNA and first converts it into a similar material called
RNA. The RNA is then used as a template to make proteins. The proteins produced
actually carry out the numerous functions in a cell. If the DNA or RNA in a cell
is damaged, the protein produced may be present in lower amounts or not function
correctly in the cell.
Sperm are responsible for carrying male’s DNA to the
female egg. At the time of fertilization, the male and female DNA are combined.
The combined DNA contains all of the information necessary for that embryo to
develop into a human being.
Since sperm are produced continuously all during a
man’s life, in the testes, there is a constant process of DNA being made and
packaged into sperm. The testes contain many proteins to help with the process
of making sperm. Some of these proteins are thought to reduce the amount of
damaged DNA.
In this study, researchers found a fourteen-fold
decrease in the amount of a protein enzyme called ornithine decarboxylase, which
is responsible for the production of spermine and spermidine, compounds
responsible for cell growth that help stabilize the structure of DNA in sperm.
This indicates that having diabetes has a direct influence on the health of
semen.
Possible Cause of RNA Damage
The researchers uncovered that a group of compounds
known as AGEs (Advanced Glycation End Products) was found in the male
reproductive tract. This substance is known to accumulate in men as they age. It
is also dependent on lifestyle choices such as smoking, diet, and in many
diabetic complications, they are centrally linked to DNA damage. Scientists are
still not quite sure how these compounds play a role exactly. They have still
yet to determine how these AGEs cause and contribute to the DNA damage.
As a precaution for protecting sperm, they are now
trying to reduce the amount of AGEs in the body. This could include changes in
diet, disrupting the production of AGEs, or increasing protection against AGEs
through dietary supplements.
Obesity and Being too Thin affects sperm
A separate study suggested that being too thin or
having obesity, a condition often associated with diabetes, also had a negative
effect on the health of a man’s sperm. The study found that overweight men had
less seminal fluid and more abnormal sperm. Men with an optimal weight had
higher levels of sperm and a higher semen volume. The research did not look at
the quality of DNA, however.
Conclusions
With the number of diabetics at younger ages
increasing, it is important to know the effects of the disease, how they impact
the body, and more specifically, how they affect fertility.
Often, type II diabetes and obesity can be
controlled and even reversed by changes in lifestyle. It is important that men
achieve an ideal body weight before trying to conceive to increase their chances
of pregnancy. This can be done with healthier eating choices, lower sugar
intake, and an increase in exercise.
Women should not be discounted as well. There have
been studies that show overweight women have lower IVF success rates. For the
best pregnancy success rates, it is important that both parents are at a healthy
weight.
It has always been known that staying around a
healthier weight is beneficial to our in many ways. For men, the increased
chances for improved semen quality are just another benefit to add to the list.
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