Obesity and Male Fertility: An In-Depth Review of the Impact of Elevated BMI

Authors

  • Solmaz Gul Sajjad Nevill Hall Hospital, Abergavenny hospital, South Wales, United Kingdom
  • Aarush Mohammad Sajjad Whiston Hospital, Mersey & West Lancashire Trust, United Kingdom
  • Michael Fakih MD Gynecological Endocrinology & Reproductive Medicine and First IVF Fertility Centre and Fakih IVF Centre Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
  • Muhammad Ahsan Akhtar MD Frcog Reproductive Medicine, RCOG accredited sub specialist in Reproductive Medicine, Fakih IVF Fertility Centre Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
  • Yasmin Sajjad MD Frcog Reproductive Medicine, RCOG accredited sub specialist in Reproductive Medicine, Fakih IVF Fertility Centre Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54536/ajmsi.v3i2.2540

Keywords:

Obesity, Male Infertility, Epigenetic Changes, DNA Fragmentation, Erectile Dysfunction, Chronic Epididymitis

Abstract

This paper discusses the complex relationship between obesity and male infertility in a detailed manner. According to the introduction, obesity-related infertility is importantly discussed since it affects some 15% of couples in which half cases are attributed for obesity-related infertility is important to discuss since it affects some 15% of couples, and half of cases are attributed to male factors. The body of the analysis discusses various factors related to obesity-associated male reproduction implications, including endocrinopathies insulin sensitivity, sperm DNA fragmentation, erectile dysfunction OSAS asshened semen characteristics chronic epididymitis and epigenetic changes. The above discussion on endocrinopathies shows that excessive white adipose tissues derail the HPG axis, triggering hormonal imbalances which lead to infertility. This paper explains the interaction between insulin resistance and testosterone levels in type 2 diabetes affected men. The paper also focuses on sperm DNA fragmentation, showing the association between obesity and increased levels of sperm DNA damage, mitochondrial dysfunction and abnormality in morphology. Erectile dysfunction is focused on obesity-induced oxidative stress, inflammation and hormonal abnormalities that impair male reproductive function. Additionally, the role of sleep apnea in testosterone secretion and possible association between its severity to lower level of this hormone are presented. There is a further discussion of altered sperm traits, chronic epididymitis and epigenetic changes with regard to the obesity which gives us a broad perspective on male fertility. The paper then concludes its discussion regarding weight loss interventions restoring fertility, focusing on diet and exercise as means for reducing certain parameters associated with modifiable inflammatory markers linked to infertility. In summary, the general assessment highlights that obesity management is crucial in male infertility.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Aitken, R. J. (2020, January). The male is significantly implicated as the cause of unexplained infertility. Seminars in Reproductive Medicine, 38(1), 3-20. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0040-1718941

Aldahhan, R. A., & Stanton, P. G. (2021). Heat stress response of somatic cells in the testis. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, 527, 111216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mce.2021.111216

American Society for Reproductive Medicine. (2022). ASRM publishes a new, more inclusive, definition of ‘infertility’ (2022). American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Retrieved from https://www.asrm.org/news-and-events/asrm-news/press-releasesbulletins/new-definition-infertility/ (Accessed: 19 January 2024).

Amiri, M., & Tehrani, F. R. (2020). Potential adverse effects of female and male obesity on fertility: A narrative review. International Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, 18(3). https://doi.org/10.5812/ijem.101776

Andersen, J. M., Rønning, P. O., Herning, H., Bekken, S. D., Haugen, T. B., & Witczak, O. (2016). Fatty acid composition of spermatozoa is associated with BMI and with semen quality. Andrology, 4(5), 857-865. https://doi.org/10.1111/andr.12227

Arnold, J., Sunilkumar, M., Krishna, V., Yoganand, S. P., Kumar, M. S., & Shanmugapriyan, D. (2017). Obstructive sleep apnea. Journal of Pharmacy & Bioallied Sciences, 9(Suppl 1), S26. https://doi.org/10.4103/jpbs.JPBS_155_17

Bhasin, S., Cunningham, G. R., Hayes, F. J., Matsumoto, A. M., Snyder, P. J., Swerdloff, R. S., & Montori, V. M. (2010). Testosterone therapy in men with androgen deficiency syndromes: An Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 95(6), 2536-2559. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2009-2354

Blumer, C. G., Fariello, R. M., Restelli, A. E., Spaine, D. M., Bertolla, R. P., & Cedenho, A. P. (2008). Sperm nuclear DNA fragmentation and mitochondrial activity in men with varicocele. Fertility and Sterility, 90(5), 1716-1722. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2007.09.007

Cabler, S., Agarwal, A., Flint, M., & Du Plessis, S. S. (2010). Obesity: Modern man’s fertility nemesis. Asian Journal of Andrology, 12(4), 480. https://doi.org/10.1038/aja.2010.38

Cescon, M., Chianese, R., & Tavares, R. S. (2020). Environmental impact on male (in) fertility via epigenetic route. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 9(8), 2520. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9082520

Chaudhuri, G. R., Das, A., Kesh, S. B., Bhattacharya, K., Dutta, S., Sengupta, P., & Syamal, A. K. (2022). Obesity and male infertility: Multifaceted reproductive disruption. Middle East Fertility Society Journal, 27(1), 8. https://mefj.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s43043-022-00099-2

Chavarro, J. E., Toth, T. L., Wright, D. L., Meeker, J. D., & Hauser, R. (2010). Body mass index in relation to semen quality, sperm DNA integrity, and serum reproductive hormone levels among men attending an infertility clinic. Fertility and Sterility, 93(7), 2222-2231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.01.100

Cojocaru, C., Cojocaru, E., Pohaci Antonesei, L. S., Pohaci Antonesei, C. A., & Dumitrache Rujinski, S. (2023). Sleep apnea syndrome associated with gonadal hormone imbalance. Biomedical Reports, 19(6), 1-10.

Colaci, D. S., Afeiche, M., Gaskins, A. J., Wright, D. L., Toth, T. L., Tanrikut, C., Hauser, R., & Chavarro, J. E. (2012). Men’s body mass index in relation to embryo quality and clinical outcomes in couples undergoing in vitro fertilization. Fertility and Sterility, 98(5), 1193-1199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2012.07.1102

Davidson, L. M., Millar, K., Jones, C., Fatum, M., & Coward, K. (2015). Deleterious effects of obesity upon the hormonal and molecular mechanisms controlling spermatogenesis and male fertility. Human Fertility, 18(3), 184-193. https://doi.org/10.3109/14647273.2015.1070438

Dick, K. J., Nelson, C. P., Tsaprouni, L., Sandling, J. K., Aïssi, D., Wahl, S., Meduri, E., Morange, P. E., Gagnon, F., Grallert, H., & Waldenberger, M. (2014). DNA methylation and body-mass index: A genome-wide analysis. The Lancet, 383(9933), 1990-1998. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(13)62674-4

Durairajanayagam, D. (2018). Lifestyle causes of male infertility. Arab Journal of Urology, 16(1), 10-20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aju.2017.12.004

Durairajanayagam, D., Agarwal, A., & Ong, C. (2015). Causes, effects and molecular mechanisms of testicular heat stress. Reproductive Biomedicine Online, 30(1), 14-27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbmo.2014.09.018

Durairajanayagam, D., Sharma, R. K., du Plessis, S. S., & Agarwal, A. (2014). Testicular heat stress and sperm quality. In Male infertility: A complete guide to lifestyle and environmental factors (pp. 105-125). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1040-3_8

Fahmy, M. A. B. (2022). Anatomy of the scrotum. In Normal and Abnormal Scrotum (pp. 65-90).

Fariello, R. M., Pariz, J. R., Spaine, D. M., Cedenho, A. P., Bertolla, R. P., & Fraietta, R. (2012). Association between obesity and alteration of sperm DNA integrity and mitochondrial activity. BJU International, 110(6), 863-867. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-410X.2011.10813.x

Fernández-Sánchez, A., Madrigal-Santillán, E., Bautista, M., Esquivel-Soto, J., Morales-González, Á., Esquivel-Chirino, C., Durante-Montiel, I., Sánchez-Rivera, G., Valadez-Vega, C., & Morales-González, J. A. (2011). Inflammation, oxidative stress, and obesity. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 12(5), 3117-3132. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms12053117

Gao, Y., Wang, C., Wang, K., He, C., Hu, K., & Liang, M. (2022). The effects and molecular mechanism of heat stress on spermatogenesis and the mitigation measures. Systems Biology in Reproductive Medicine, 68(5-6), 331-347. https://doi.org/10.1080/19396368.2022.2074325

Ge, S. Q., Lin, S. L., Zhao, Z. H., & Sun, Q. Y. (2017). Epigenetic dynamics and interplay during spermatogenesis and embryogenesis: Implications for male fertility and offspring health. Oncotarget, 8(32), 53804. https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.17479

Geerkens, M. J., Al-Itejawi, H. H., Nieuwenhuijzen, J. A., Meuleman, E. J., Lissenberg-Witte, B. I., van Moorselaar, R. J. A., & Vis, A. N. (2020). Sexual dysfunction and bother due to erectile dysfunction in the healthy elderly male population: Prevalence from a systematic review. European Urology Focus, 6(4), 776-790. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euf.2019.03.004

Gómez-Hernández, A., Beneit, N., Díaz-Castroverde, S., & Escribano, Ó. (2016). Differential role of adipose tissues in obesity and related metabolic and vascular complications. International Journal of Endocrinology, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/1216783

González-Ravina, C., Aguirre-Lipperheide, M., Pinto, F., Martín-Lozano, D., Fernández-Sánchez, M., Blasco, V., Santamaría-López, E., & Candenas, L. (2018). Effect of dietary supplementation with a highly pure and concentrated docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplement on human sperm function. Reproductive Biology, 18(3), 282-288. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.repbio.2018.06.002

Hajshafiha, M., Ghareaghaji, R., Salemi, S., Sadegh-Asadi, N., & Sadeghi-Bazargani, H. (2013). Association of body mass index with some fertility markers among male partners of infertile couples. International Journal of General Medicine. https://doi.org/10.2147/IJGM.S41341

Hohl, A., & Ronsoni, M. F. (2022). Male hypogonadism. In Endocrinology and Diabetes: A Problem Oriented Approach (pp. 139-155). Cham: Springer International Publishing.

Ilacqua, A., Francomano, D., & Aversa, A. (2018). The physiology of the testis. In Principles of Endocrinology and Hormone Action, Endocrinology (pp. 1-38). Switzerland: Springer International Publishing AG. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44675-2_17

Isidori, A. M., Caprio, M., Strollo, F., Moretti, C., Frajese, G., Isidori, A., & Fabbri, A. (1999). Leptin and androgens in male obesity: Evidence for leptin contribution to reduced androgen levels. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 84(10), 3673-3680. https://doi.org/10.1210/jcem.84.10.6082

Kasturi, S. S., Tannir, J., & Brannigan, R. E. (2008). The metabolic syndrome and male infertility. Journal of Andrology, 29(3), 251-259. https://doi.org/10.2164/jandrol.107.003731

Katib, A. (2015). Mechanisms linking obesity to male infertility. Central European Journal of Urology, 68(1), 79. https://doi.org/10.5173/ceju.2015.01.435

Khodamoradi, K., Khosravizadeh, Z., Seetharam, D., Mallepalli, S., Farber, N., & Arora, H. (2022). The role of leptin and low testosterone in obesity. International Journal of Impotence Research, 34(7), 704-713. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41443-022-00534-y

Leisegang, K., Sengupta, P., Agarwal, A., & Henkel, R. (2021). Obesity and male infertility: Mechanisms and management. Andrologia, 53(1), e13617. https://doi.org/10.1111/and.13617

Leslie, S., Soon-Sutton, T., & Khan, M. A. (2023). Male infertility. StatPearls.

Liu, Y., & Ding, Z. (2017). Obesity, a serious etiologic factor for male subfertility in modern society. Reproduction, 154(4), R123-R131. https://doi.org/10.1530/REP-17-0161

Manna, P., & Jain, S. K. (2015). Obesity, oxidative stress, adipose tissue dysfunction, and the associated health risks: Causes and therapeutic strategies. Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders, 13(10), 423-444. https://doi.org/10.1089/met.2015.0095

Martínez‐Soto, J. C., Landeras, J., & Gadea, J. (2013). Spermatozoa and seminal plasma fatty acids as predictors of cryopreservation success. Andrology, 1(3), 365-375. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2047-2927.2012.00040.x

Mendelson, M. M., Marioni, R. E., Joehanes, R., Liu, C., Hedman, Å. K., Aslibekyan, S., Demerath, E. W., Guan, W., Zhi, D., Yao, C., & Huan, T. (2017). Association of body mass index with DNA methylation and gene expression in blood cells and relations to cardiometabolic disease: A Mendelian randomization approach. PLoS Medicine, 14(1), e1002215. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002215

Moon, K. H., Park, S. Y., & Kim, Y. W. (2019). Obesity and erectile dysfunction: From bench to clinical implication. The World Journal of Men’s Health, 37(2), 138. https://doi.org/10.5534/wjmh.180026

Nguyen, R. H., Wilcox, A. J., Skjærven, R., & Baird, D. D. (2007). Men’s body mass index and infertility. Human Reproduction, 22(9), 2488-2493. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dem139

Nowicka-Bauer, K., & Nixon, B. (2020). Molecular changes induced by oxidative stress that impair human sperm motility. Antioxidants, 9(2), 134. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox9020134

Omran, F., & Christian, M. (2020). Inflammatory signaling and brown fat activity. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 11, 156. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2020.00156

Onyango, V. C., et al. (2023). Morbid obesity associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and complicated by severe non-cirrhotic portal hypertension: A case report from rural Kenya. American Journal of Medical Science and Innovation (AJMSI), 2(2). https://doi.org/10.54536/ajmsi.v2i2.1907

Osman, A. M., Carter, S. G., Carberry, J. C., & Eckert, D. J. (2018). Obstructive sleep apnea: Current perspectives. Nature and Science of Sleep. https://doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S124657

Ozanne, S. E. (2015). Epigenetic signatures of obesity. New England Journal of Medicine, 372(10), 973-974. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMcibr1414707

Palmer, N. O., Bakos, H. W., Fullston, T., & Lane, M. (2012). Impact of obesity on male fertility, sperm function and molecular composition. Spermatogenesis, 2(4), 253-263. https://doi.org/10.4161/spmg.21362

Rajoriya, J. S., Prasad, J. K., Ramteke, S. S., Perumal, P., De, A. K., Ghosh, S. K., Bag, S., Raje, A., Singh, M., Kumar, A., & Kumaresan, A. (2020). Exogenous cholesterol prevents cryocapacitation‐like changes, membrane fluidity, and enhances in vitro fertility in bubaline spermatozoa. Reproduction in Domestic Animals, 55(6), 726-736. https://doi.org/10.1111/rda.13674

Ramal Sanchez, M., Mattioli, M., Valbonetti, L., Barboni, B., Bernabò, N., & Capacchietti, G. (2018). Chapter Membrane Dynamics of Spermatozoa during Capacitation: New Insight in Germ Cells Signalling. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.69964

Ren, Y., Zhao, H., Yin, C., Lan, X., Wu, L., Du, X., Griffiths, H. R., & Gao, D. (2022). Adipokines, hepatokines and myokines: Focus on their role and molecular mechanisms in adipose tissue inflammation. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 13, 873699. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2022.873699

Rizzoto, G., & Kastelic, J. P. (2020). A new paradigm regarding testicular thermoregulation in ruminants? Theriogenology, 147, 166-175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2019.11.019

Savini, I., Catani, M. V., Evangelista, D., Gasperi, V., & Avigliano, L. (2013). Obesity-associated oxidative stress: Strategies finalized to improve redox state. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 14(5), 10497-10538. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms140510497

Schagdarsurengin, U., Western, P., Steger, K., & Meinhardt, A. (2016, November). Developmental origins of male subfertility: Role of infection, inflammation, and environmental factors. Seminars in Immunopathology, 38, 765-781. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00281-016-0576-y

Sengupta, P., Bhattacharya, K., & Dutta, S. (2019). Leptin and male reproduction. Asian Pacific Journal of Reproduction, 8(5), 220-226. https://doi.org/10.4103/2305-0500.268143

Sheynkin, Y., Jung, M., Yoo, P., Schulsinger, D., & Komaroff, E. (2005). Increase in scrotal temperature in laptop computer users. Human Reproduction, 20(2), 452-455. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/deh616

Shimobayashi, M., Albert, V., Woelnerhanssen, B., Frei, I. C., Weissenberger, D., Meyer-Gerspach, A. C., Clement, N., Moes, S., Colombi, M., Meier, J. A., & Swierczynska, M. M. (2018). Insulin resistance causes inflammation in adipose tissue. The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 128(4), 1538-1550. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI96139

Sinha, A., & Gupta, S. (2018). Lipid peroxidation and its impact on infertility. of, 10, 2.

Soubry, A., Guo, L., Huang, Z., Hoyo, C., Romanus, S., Price, T., & Murphy, S. K. (2016). Obesity-related DNA methylation at imprinted genes in human sperm: Results from the TIEGER study. Clinical Epigenetics, 8, 1-11.

Sultan, M. A. H., Zin, M. H. M., Hayati, F., Zainuddin, Z. M., Kosai, N. R., Rajan, R., Abidin, Z. A. Z., & Febriany, D. C. (2023). Improvement in erectile dysfunction among male obese patient, following bariatric surgery in Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HUKM). Obesity Surgery, 33(5), 1506-1518. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-023-06547-w

Tsai, E. C., Matsumoto, A. M., Fujimoto, W. Y., & Boyko, E. J. (2004). Association of bioavailable, free, and total testosterone with insulin resistance: Influence of sex hormone-binding globulin and body fat. Diabetes Care, 27(4), 861-868. https://doi.org/10.2337/diacare.27.4.861

Visconti, P. E., Krapf, D., De La Vega-beltrán, J. L., Acevedo, J. J., & Darszon, A. (2011). Ion channels, phosphorylation and mammalian sperm capacitation. Asian Journal of Andrology, 13(3), 395. https://doi.org/10.1038/aja.2010.69

Zhang, J., Yang, B., Cai, Z., Li, H., Han, T., & Wang, Y. (2019). The negative impact of higher body mass index on sperm quality and erectile function: A cross-sectional study among Chinese males of infertile couples. American Journal of Men’s Health, 13(1), 1557988318822572. https://doi.org/10.1177/1557988318822572

Downloads

Published

2024-07-17

How to Cite

Sajjad, S. G., Sajjad, A. M., Fakih MD, M., MD Frcog, M. A. A., & MD Frcog, Y. S. (2024). Obesity and Male Fertility: An In-Depth Review of the Impact of Elevated BMI. American Journal of Medical Science and Innovation, 3(2), 23-30. https://doi.org/10.54536/ajmsi.v3i2.2540

Similar Articles

1-10 of 41

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.