Amazing study: men with good sperm live longer

This article was first published by ntv.de

Whether you have potent sperm, men – if at all – only find out when there is a desire to have children. Before that, the quality of the sperm seems to be rather unimportant. A fallacy, says a Danish research team: “Sperm could be the canary birds in the coal pit for men’s health.” Because men with higher -quality sperm live longer, the new study says.

The scientists analyzed samples of almost 80,000 men. These were tested for seed volume, sperm concentration, sperm form and the proportion of mobile or floating sperm. While some men did not produce sperm, others had very good seed quality. The researchers then pursued men’s health over up to 50 years after their sperm tests. Around 8,600 of the subjects died during this period, which corresponds to 11 percent of the group.

A man usually produces between 40 million and 300 million sperm per ejaculation. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a sperm concentration of less than 15 million sperm per milliliter is considered low and can indicate possible infertility.

The result: men who produced more than 120 million floating sperm per ejaculate lived two to three years longer than those who produced less than 5 million. For example, the men with the highest sperm quality were 80.3 years, but those with poor sperm quality, on the other hand, only 77.6 years old.

“It really seems to be that way: the better the seed quality, the longer life,” says Lærke Priskorn, epidemiologist at the University Hospital Copenhagen, who led the study together with Niels Jørgensen, Andrologist at the university clinic. The quality of the sperm reflects the general health of a man. In the tests, a poorer quality was always associated with an earlier death. This correlation remained even if other factors such as smoking, nutrition or movement were taken into account.

“When sperm really are the canaries in the coal pit of male health, the question arises as to why this is the case,” writes John Aitken, who was not involved in the study, accompanying the study. According to the reproductive biologist at the University of Newcastle in Australia, an answer to the causes of so -called oxidative stress could be. This arises when free radicals take over. Free radicals are unstable molecules that damage the DNA and cell function and can lead to cell death throughout the body, including the testicles and sperm.

“Every factor (genetic, immunological, metabolic, due to environmental or lifestyle), which increases the overall level of oxidative stress, could reasonably cause changes in the seed profile and subsequent mortality pattern,” said Aitken. Smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, sunlight, pesticides, industrial meals and air pollutants can activate free radicals. But also a weakened immune system or a heart disease can also release this highly reactive molecules that accelerate the aging process.

The Danish scientists now want to find out which diseases occur frequently in men with poor seed quality. This is an important finding for better provision. In the future, doctors could recommend preventive measures in the future if a sperm analysis shows a risk.

Allan Pacey, professor of Andrology at the University of Manchester, told the “that the study contributed to a growing number of work that indicate that men with poor seed quality have an increased risk of getting sick or dying early.” So far, nobody has found a satisfactory explanation for this. ” Younger men and poorer health in later life leads. “Further studies are needed to find out.

Pacey soothes men with poorer seed quality, however. “However, you should take the opportunity to discuss all concerns with your fertility specialist or family doctor,” advises the expert. “Men in particular should be encouraged to perceive every offer for a health investigation that is offered to them.”