Aging Sperm – Effects on Infertility, Miscarriage and Genetic Abnormalities By Rosalind Haney, RN, CCN It is commonly accepted that men, unlike women, remain fertile well into old age. But like women, men do have a biological clock (although more gradual) that affects both their likelihood of fertility and their risk of passing on genetic abnormalities. Fertility specialists will tell you that overall men and women are equally responsible for infertility (40% female factor, 40% male factor, and 20% combined or unexplained). Yet, beyond a basic semen analysis, little attention has been given to men’s contribution to infertility and pregnancy loss --- until now. Current evidence suggests that children born to older fathers have an increased risk of birth defects, some cancers, autism, schizophrenia and reduced fertility as adults. A significant increase in the risk of miscarriage has also been observed in couples where the male partner was older than 40 and the female partner was older than 35. Improved testing capabilities are showing that sperm in men over 45 are more vulnerable to genetic mutations and a large portion of their sperm does not reach maturity. A basic semen analysis does not measure these parameters of semen quality and function. It is expected in the near future that a method of testing for DNA strand breakage, such as the DNA Fragmentation Index (DFI), will be added to a basic semen analysis to more correctly determine potential for viable fertility. This is important because men with a high percent of DNA fragmentation have a very low potential for in vitro fertilization success. So what happens to aging sperm? Studies point to reactive oxygen species (ROS), a type of free radical damage that peroxidizes the lipid plasma membrane of sperm, affecting the fluidity of sperm and the integrity on DNA in the sperm nucleus. Medical consensus is that with age men see a decline in the body’s ability to protect sperm cells. They specifically point to a decline in glutathione peroxidase – enzymes that prevent lipid peroxidation of sperm cell membranes. Glutathione is a protein amino acid that is a powerful antioxidant against oxidative stress and an essential antioxidant to slow aging. It helps produce, protect and repair DNA. It is also known to be a powerful detoxifier of drugs in the body, which can be effective in protecting sperm from exposure to environmental toxins, medications (both prescription and over-the-counter), alcohol and inhalant drugs. Glutathione supplements are not well absorbed unless they are in a
reduced state. The unreduced form of glutathione is cheaper but is not
metabolically active. Increasing the glutathione precursors and cofactors
that make, synthesize and reduce glutathione has been shown to raise
tissue levels of glutathione peroxidase.
Resources: Reactive oxygen species as an independent marker of male factor
infertility. Value of sperm deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragmentation level,
as measured by the sperm chromatin dispersion test, in the outcome of
in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Advanced paternal age: How old is too old?
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