Diabetes and men's health
Scientists have uncovered an unusual link between male infertility and diabetes
Infertile men unusually often suffer from type 2 diabetes and metabolic disorders, which may indicate a link between these diseases and the common cause of their development. This conclusion was reached by scientists who published an article in the journal BJU International (Boeri et al., Undiagnosed diabetes is highly prevalent in primary infertile men – results from a cross‐sectional study).
"Our observations showed that approximately 15% of infertile men were simultaneously in a prediabetic state, the development of which they did not know. Its presence, in addition, was associated with a decrease in sperm quality and an increased level of the hormone FSH, which stimulates the reproduction of germ cells," write Andrea Salonia and her colleagues from the University of Milan (Italy).
According to current estimates, about 10-15% of married couples in Western countries are unable to continue childbirth due to infertility of one of the two "halves". Contrary to conventional wisdom, the proportion of infertile men and women is approximately equal, with most infertile men and women losing fertility at the age of 40-55 years.
The biological "roots" of infertility in most cases remain unknown due to the complexity and little knowledge of the genetic mechanisms that control the production of eggs and sperm.
Salonia and her colleagues have revealed one of the possible causes of infertility in the strong half of humanity, analyzing the medical histories of about 750 men who have applied to reproductive clinics in Milan in recent years with complaints about problems in their personal lives.
After studying these data and collecting samples of sperm and blood, scientists tried to isolate the problems that united all these men. In addition to problems with the work of the heart and blood vessels, which typically accompany the development of infertility, Italian doctors found out that another disease, type II diabetes, influenced its appearance no less strongly.
As it turned out, every sixth man suffered not only from problems in his personal life, but also type II diabetes or a prediabetic condition, with the development of which glucose and insulin concentrations in the blood reach dangerously high levels.
Diabetes, as scientists note, was statistically associated not only with the development of infertility, but also with many other problems with the work of the genitals. For example, diabetic men were about two to three times more likely to suffer from low testosterone levels in the body, idiopathic azoospermia and a number of other problems.
The presence of such a connection between diabetes and sexual disorders, according to Salonia and her colleagues, should be taken into account in the work of reproductive clinics and in the practice of therapists involved in the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes. This will simultaneously help men avoid problems in their personal lives and the development of full-fledged insulin deficiency.
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