Male Infertility May Signal High Risk for Something Later in Life, Study Finds

Men with fertility issues are at greater risk for developing other health issues as they age.

Researchers in Sweden found that men with severely reduced fertility are more likely to develop colorectal cancer and thyroid cancer. This was first reported in the European Journal of Epidemiology.

Factors Include Genes and Lifestyle

“Reproductive capacity is linked to an individual’s genetic makeup. One theory is that if something goes wrong at the genetic level – which can manifest as reduced sperm quality – other systems in the body may also be affected, increasing the risk of disease,” says Angel Elenkov, researcher at Lund University and consultant physician at the Centre for Reproductive Medicine, Region Skåne, in a news release.

Previous research found that men with reduced fertility are at an increased risk for prostate cancer and testicular cancer, which is why the research team wanted to explore the possibilities of other cancer types.

What Research Data Revealed

The research team analyzed data from more than 1.1 men in Sweden who had children between 1994 and 2014. Of the 14, 540 men who used assisted reproductive tech to become fathers they were cross-referenced with a cancer registry.

“They were found to have almost twice the risk of developing colorectal cancer and three times the risk of thyroid cancer compared with men who become fathers naturally,” said Michael Kitlinski, a medical student and research project participant at Lund University. 

Screen Early For Cancer

“Most men who undergo fertility testing are between 30 and 35 years old. The aim is to help them become fathers, and there is no subsequent follow-up on their health. These findings are important from a public health perspective, given that cancers of the colon and rectum, as well as thyroid cancer, are on the rise among younger people. These cancers could be prevented through early screening.” Elenkov. 

Spermmaxxing

There’s a new trend in fertility health, called spermmaxxing or nutmaxxing, where men have their sperm tested before wanting to become fathers, and then are given health recommendations, diet instructions, even suggestions on what type of underwear to wear to improve optimize their overall health and, in turn, their swimmers.