Obesity reduces fertility in men
22 October 2010
Male obesity can have a dramatic effect on an infertile couple’s chances of having a baby, a world first Australian study shows.
Scientists from the University of Adelaide and Repromed have shown that the more overweight a man is, the less likely it is he will father a child.
Lead author Dr Hassan Bakos (PhD) said results from a group of 305 patients undergoing assisted reproductive technology (e.g. IVF) showed a significantly lower rate of embryos implanting (attaching to the lining of the womb) with increasing body mass index (BMI) of the father.
The study is also the first to assess the impact of paternal obesity on the rates of live births, showing that while couples where the man was of normal weight had a 41% chance of having a live baby, this was reduced to 26% in overweight men, 22% in obese men and just 12% where the man was morbidly obese (BMI >35).
“Essentially, fertility in the male has been ignored in research, and there is a lot more to be done to look at mechanisms ... and the contribution of paternal obesity”, Dr Bakos said.
Dr Bakos told a conference of the Fertility Society of Australia (held in Adelaide on 10-13 October 2010) the research found “subtle differences” in the sperm of obese men, including reduced motility (movement), and delays in development of their embryos.
Last Reviewed: 22 October 2010
