Clinical Pearls:
- Common life style choices do not contribute much towards sperm morphology.
- Sperm Morphology is only adversely affected by giving the sample in summer season, or in men under 30 years of age consuming cannabis during the preceding 3months.
- Body mass index (BMI), type of underwear, smoking or alcohol consumption or having a history of mumps has no effect on sperm quality.
The European
Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE 2016) is off to a strong
start with keynote lecture given by Allan Pacey, Sheffield, UK. The honor of
delivering the opening lecture goes to the author of the most downloaded original
and recent research paper from the three ESHRE journals namely Human Reproduction, Human Reproduction Update
and Basic Science of Reproductive Medicine.
This year the honor was conferred upon Allan Pacey on his original research on lifestyle effect
on quality of sperm. The paper was published in the June, 2014 issue of Human
Reproduction.[1]
Many earlier
studies and research have claimed that sperm morphology is affected by life
style choices made by men, but the recent study has refuted the claims.
Research teams
from the Universities of Sheffield and Manchester conducted the world largest
study by recruiting 318 cases and 1652 referents. The cases consist of men 18
and above, part of couple unable to conceive after unprotected coitus for 1
year and with no knowledge of semen parameters.
Semen
analysis of the men showed poor sperm morphology based on computer analysis of
200 sperms (< 4% of normal forms).
The
exposures were self-reported in answering a set of questionnaire.
It was seen
that men with poor semen samples were twice likely (odds ratio (OR) = 1.99) to have
submitted the sample in summer (June-August) or if they are less than 30 years
of age, might have used cannabis in preceding three months.
Abstinence of
6 or more days also helped to improve the sample in 36% of cases.
Contrary to
the popular belief no association was found between sperm morphology and type
of underwear, body mass index (BMI), smoking or alcohol consumption or having a
history of mumps.
This finding
has a wider implication and advises against the delay in infertility treatment
or assisted conception to change the men’s life style which does not have any
direct effect on the semen parameters.
Dr Andrew
Povey, from the University of Manchester's Institute of Population Health,
said: "This research builds on our study of two years ago which
looked at the risk factors associated with the number of swimming sperm (motile
concentration) in men's ejaculates.
Infertile
men with moderate alcohol consumption or a taste for tight-fitting underwear
need not be concerned any longer. Says Pacey.[2]
The study
suffered from reporting bias, but it has sufficient power to arrive at a
conclusion.
[1] A. A. Pacey, A. C. Povey, J.-A. Clyma, R.
McNamee, H.D. Moore, H. Baillie, N.M. Cherry, and Participating Centres of
Chaps-UK. Modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors for
poor sperm morphology. Human Reproduction, June 2014 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deu116
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