Friday, March 29

The concentration of sperm in men has been reduced by half in just 50 years

Europe is experiencing male fertility problems that have been accelerated since the year 2000. Already in 2017, researchers from the University of Murcia (UMU) warned of this “emerging crisis”, as the authors themselves mention, which is due to the decrease in sperm concentration among men.

Now, a new international study, in which the Public Health and Epidemiology research group of the University of Murcia (UMU) has participated, has also carried out this study among men from South and Central America, Asia and Africa, which joins data drawn from North America, Europe and Australia, to highlight not only the declining number of sperm on all continents, but also how this problem is accelerating during the 21st century.

But it is not only male fertility that is of concern, the data is also an “indicator of the health status of men, with low levels associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases and testicular cancer,” highlights Jaime Mendiola, professor of Public Health at the UMU. The authors also point out that this decrease reflects a global crisis related to the current degradation of the environment and the stressful pace of life in society, with broad implications for the survival of the human species.

a global problem

The results, recently published in Human Reproduction Update, have been collected over the last seven years (2011-2018) with data from 53 countries, and focus on trends in sperm counts among men from regions not previously reviewed, specifically South America, Asia and Africa. The data show, for the first time, that men from these regions share a significant decrease in their sperm count and a reduction in sperm concentration, a reality previously observed in North America, Europe and Australia.

In addition, this study shows that the decline has been much greater since the beginning of the new century. As Hagai Levine, lead researcher on the project, summarizes: “Overall, we are seeing a significant global decline in sperm counts of more than 50% over the last 46 years, a decline that has accelerated in recent years.”

As confirmed by Mendiola, member of the international research team and co-author of the work, “the studies analyzed in Spain reflect a similar trend to that shown in the global study and confirm a decrease in the total count and sperm concentration.”

While the current work does not analyze the causes of the observed sperm decline, recent research indicates that alterations in the development of the reproductive tract during fetal life are related to impaired fertility during adult life, as well as to other markers of dysfunction. reproductive. Furthermore, Levine also associates that “certain lifestyle habits and chemicals in the environment are adversely affecting fetal development.”

“Our findings serve as the canary in the coal mine,” highlights the researcher at the Hadassah Braun School of Public Health in Jerusalem. “We have a serious problem on our hands that, if left unmitigated, could threaten the survival of humanity. An urgent call for global action is needed to promote a healthier environment for all species and reduce exposures and behaviors that threaten our reproductive health.”

Important consequences for male health

For her part, Professor Shanna Swan, co-director of the project and researcher at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (New York, USA), has pointed out that low sperm counts not only affect male fertility, but also they have important consequences for male health in general, and are related to other adverse tendencies, generically called testicular dysgenesis syndrome.

“The disturbing decline in sperm counts and concentration of more than 1% per year shown in our work is consistent with adverse trends in other male pathologies, such as testicular cancer, hormonal disturbances, and genital birth defects, as well as such as the decline in women’s reproductive health, “explains Swan.

In addition, Professor Alberto Torres, professor at the UMU and an international expert on this subject, points out that “several epidemiological studies have shown that a decreased sperm concentration would be associated with a higher risk of hospitalization, diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, alterations of the sleep, psychological stress or mortality, as well as with a shortened life expectancy.”

Along with professors from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, an international group of researchers from Denmark, Brazil, Spain, Israel and the USA have participated.



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