Obesity a Factor in Male Infertility

Wayne Meikle, MD, medical director of Encocrinology and Automated Endocrinology, discusses the potential link between obesity and male fertility. Obesity is associated with decreased sperm count and erectile dysfunction in males. Decreased sperm count is due to hypoandrogenism and the harmful effects of increased estrogen levels. The papers calls for more focused studies to reveal the extent of the correlation between obesity and decreased sperm count and to show how obesity affects male infertility.

• It has been estimated that sperm counts have been decreasing by as much as 1.5% each year in the United States, a finding similar to those for other western countries and not present in regions where obesity is less prevalent. These findings suggest a possible link between lifestyle changes, obesity, semen quality, and possibly, male fertility. See more
  
  (Review of Endocrinology. "Obesity a Significant Factor in Male Infertility." May 2008.)