Dr. Ronald Klatz, President of the A4M, Sept. 29, 2017 remarks, “I’ve been aware of this fact for decades. We have been attempting to educate doctors and patients of the horrific effects of being overweight or obese for over 20 years. Isn’t it interesting that Indian Scientists seem more aware of this fact than Americans? One has to wonder if the quality of sperm also effects the overall genetic health of people through life?”

(HealthDay News) — A widening waistline may make for shrinking numbers of sperm, new research suggests.

Indian scientists studied more than 1,200 men and found that too much extra weight was linked to a lower volume of semen, a lower sperm count and lower sperm concentration.

In addition, sperm motility (the ability to move quickly through the female reproductive tract) was poor. The sperm had other defects as well, the researchers added. Poor sperm quality can lower fertility and the chances of conception.

“It’s known that obese women take longer to conceive,” said lead researcher Dr. Gottumukkala Achyuta Rama Raju, from the Center for Assisted Reproduction at the Krishna IVF Clinic, in Visakhapatnam. “This study proves that obese men are also a cause for delay in conception,” he added.

“Parental obesity at conception has deleterious effects on embryo health, implantation, pregnancy and birth rates,” Rama Raju explained.

How obesity affects sperm quality isn’t known, he pointed out.

But in continuing research, the study team is looking to see if losing weight will improve the quality of sperm.

Although that study is still in progress, early signs look good that sperm quality improves as men lose weight, Rama Raju said.

One U.S. fertility expert said the findings have broad implications in America.

“About one-third of men in the United States are obese,” said Dr. Avner Hershlag, chief of Northwell Health Fertility in Manhasset, N.Y.

America is getting fatter and fatter, despite the proliferation of new diets and exercise routines. And about one-sixth of children and adolescents are already obese, Hershlag noted.

“Along with the growing obesity trend, there has been a steady decline in sperm quality,” Hershlag said. “The findings in this study, while not specifically related to infertility, represent a trend towards a decline that is worrisome.”

Recent reports have found that extreme weight loss after bariatric surgery reversed some of the sperm decline, he said.

“The message to men is don’t continue to abuse your body,” Hershlag said. “Comfort foods and excess alcohol are bound to make you uncomfortable and put you at a higher risk for diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, which are all life-shortening, and may also put a damper on your path to fatherhood.”

For the study, Rama Raju and his colleagues used computer-aided sperm analysis to assess the sperm of 1,285 men. Obese men, they found, had fewer sperm, a lower concentration of sperm and inability of the sperm to move at a normal speed, compared with the sperm of men of normal weight.

Moreover, the sperm of obese men had more defects than other sperm. These defects included defects in the head of the sperm, such as thin heads and pear-shaped heads.

All of these sperm abnormalities may make it more difficult for obese men to achieve conception, either through sexual intercourse or through IVF, the researchers said. But the study did not prove that obesity causes sperm quality to drop.

According to Rama Raju, this is the first study of abnormal sperm in obese men based on computer-aided assessment. The report was published online Sept. 19 in the journal Andrologia .

Computer-aided sperm analysis might be something doctors should do before IVF, he suggested.

Dr. Nachum Katlowitz, director of urology at Staten Island University Hospital, in New York City, pointed out that “the effect of obesity on sperm is another reason why Americans need to work on this epidemic.”

The idea that obesity affects sperm is well known, he said. “There’s no doubt we should take this information as another link in the chain to push us to help our patients obtain a healthy balance and a slimmer waistline,” Katlowitz said.

By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter

Article Source: https://www.worldhealth.net/news/mens-weight-rises-sperm-health-may-fall/

Testosterone (T) is a naturally occurring hormone in men, and most of it is produced in the testicles.

At puberty, T production escalates, bringing about masculinizing changes in muscle mass. also promotes sex drive, sperm and red blood cell production, bone mass and determines how men store body fat.

It can impact quality of life issues as well, like mood, energy and motivation.

Beginning at about age 30, T production begins to decline on average by about 1 percent per year, plummeting late in life. This causes all sorts of problems, including lack of sex drive, inability to sleep, loss of muscle and bone mass, increased belly fat, the list goes on. Reversing these symptoms and improving the quality of life is the reason T replacement therapy (TRT) clinics supervised by physicians have sprung up around the country.

Although it is considered a male hormone, women also produce a modest amount of T in the ovaries. After menopause, estrogen production declines, which alters the ratio of estrogen to T, explaining why women begin taking on some male characteristics, like storing more fat around the midsection, rather than on the hips, thighs and buttocks as occurs earlier in life.

TESTOSTERONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY

Is TRT a good thing? It can be when managed responsibly. If you are older, and your T level is very low and falls below the normal range, it makes sense to address it with TRT because it can negatively impact health, increasing risks associated with diabetes, obesity and osteoporosis. Low T also may shorten life, but this is controversial because when TRT raises T levels it has not been shown to extend life.

More is not always better, and many TRT clinics are viewed with suspicion because they advertise that it’s possible to feel like you are 25 years old again, even though you are decades older. Perhaps this is possible, but at what price, and if you are taking huge doses of T, could you be damaging your health?

Research studies in 2013 and 2014 indicated that TRT increased the risk of heart disease in men 65 and older, and in younger men with a history of heart disease. However, subsequent studies refute these findings and some show a deceased risk of heart disease. Another area of concern is an increased risk of prostate cancer, but this, too, is controversial. There does appear to be solid evidence that TRT can increase the risk of blood clots and stroke, plus sleep apnea, acne and breast enlargement.

All in all, some experts believe the benefits outweigh the risks, while others are more cautious because TRT hasn’t been around long enough or impacted enough men to draw meaningful conclusions. Time will tell. In the meantime, like most things in life, moderation is the best approach.

THE BOTTOM LINE

TRT has a place and can be beneficial if managed prudently. Just be careful of extreme approaches and promises that seem too good to be true. As for AS, there is no justifiable reason for athletes to be taking them. Ever!

Written by: Bryant Stamford

Article Source: http://www.courier-journal.com/story/life/wellness/health/2017/09/07/testosterone-replacement-therapy-aging-males/569708001