Semen quality indicators associated with reduced body weight in young infertile men with pathozoospermia, postpubertal visceral obesity and normal andrological history

Background: Considering the negative impact of visceral obesity on fertility, it is important to study semen quality indicators associated with reduced body weight.

Aims: Evaluation of semen quality indicators associated with reduced body weight in patients with infertility, postpubertal visceral obesity and normal andrological history.

Materials and methods: 33 infertile men under 30 years with post-pubertal and alimentary visceral obesity were included into retrospective case-control study. All patients have been followed through a six month weight loss program (hypocaloric diet, daily aerobic physical activity). The waist circumference, blood lipid levels, seminal antioxidant capacity and scanning electron microscopy analysis were determined before and after weight loss program. At the end of the study, patients were divided into two groups according to weight loss. The first group reduced their body weight by 5% or more (n=16), second group didn’t achieve the goal (n=17).

Results: Statistically significant differences were identified in the ejaculate parameters between patients of two groups. Though at the time of initiation of medical intervention two groups were comparable except for body mass, after six months in the first group the number of sperm in 1 ml ejaculate, morphologically normal forms and the total antioxidant capacity of ejaculate increased while the number of sperm DNA integrity decreased.

Conclusion: In young men with postpubertal visceral obesity and normal andrological history clinically significant body weight reduction is associated with improved semen quality indicators.

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