Cross SectionalHumann = 2782025
Lifestyle and hormonal factors affecting semen quality and sperm DNA integrity: A cross-sectional study.
Plain-language summary
This study looked at how lifestyle and hormones affect semen quality and sperm DNA health in men. It examined 278 Indian men aged 21 to 50, measuring sperm count, movement, shape, and DNA damage alongside their habits, job exposures, and hormone levels. Older age, tobacco and alcohol use, abnormal weight, heat exposure at work, and hormonal imbalances, low testosterone, high prolactin (a hormone that suppresses testosterone when it runs high), and low AMH (anti-Müllerian hormone, made by the testicles and a marker of sperm-producing capacity, where higher signals better function), were all tied to poorer sperm health.
Key findings
- Men over 40 had higher sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF).
- Tobacco and alcohol use were linked to worse sperm concentration, motility, and shape.
- Abnormal BMI correlated with poorer semen quality and higher SDF.
- Low testosterone and high prolactin were tied to abnormal semen, while low AMH was linked to higher SDF.
How to analyze the study yourself
- Study type
- Cross-sectional studies are good at spotting associations at one point in time but cannot prove cause and effect.
- Population
- Indian men aged 21-50 from a tertiary care center.
- Funding
- Not reported
- Watch for
- This study found that tobacco, alcohol, excess weight, workplace heat, and out-of-balance hormones all tracked with poorer sperm health. If you are trying to conceive, it may be worth cutting back on smoking and drinking, keeping a healthy weight, and avoiding prolonged heat at work.