04 Oct Alcohol Consumption Linked To Poor Semen Quality

MedicalResearch.com: Interview with:
Professor Tina Kold Jensen MD
Professor, Department of Environmental Medicine
Research leader, Odense Child Cohort

Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study?

Prof. Jensen: Our study suggests that even modest habitual alcohol consumption of more than 5 units per week had adverse effects on semen quality although most pronounced effects were seen in men who consumed more than 25 units per week. Alcohol consumption was also linked to changes in testosterone and SHBG levels.

Medical Research: What was most surprising about the results?

Prof. Jensen: That an adverse effect was found even at low habitual alcohol intake.

Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Prof. Jensen: Young men should be advised that high habitual alcohol intake may affect not only their general but also their reproductive health

Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Prof. Jensen: More studies on possible mechanisms and intervention studies to determine whether semen quality is restored if alcohol intake is reduced

Citation:

Habitual alcohol consumption associated with reduced semen quality and changes in reproductive hormones: a cross sectional study among 1221 young Danish men

 Tina Kold Jensen, Mads Gottschau, Jens Otto Broby Madsen, Anne-Maria Andersson, Tina Harmer Lassen, Niels E Skakkebæk, Shanna H Swan, Lærke Priskorn, Anders Juul, Niels Jørgensen

BMJ Open 2014;4:9 e005462 doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2014-005462

Last Updated on October 4, 2014 by Marie Benz MD FAAD