Sperm Quality Decreases With Age

Previous studies have suggested that sperm quality decreases with age. Yet recent findings published in the journal Aging Research Reviews show that men's semen quality declines with age, also lowering the chances of fertility.

"While female age is well known to have negative effects on fertility, reproductive success and the health of offspring, the influence of male age on a couple's fertility has been largely neglected," said lead study author Dr. Sheri Johnson, in a news release. "The effects of declining semen traits with increasing male age have largely been ignored due to inconsistencies in the literature, but our work now suggests that male age affects a variety of traits. It is well recognized that reduced sperm performance can affect pregnancy success, but it is less well known that the quality of the sperm, particularly DNA quality, could affect the development and health of the offspring."

For the study, researchers synthesized the current state of knowledge from 90 individual studies, spanning around 94,000 volunteers/patients from more than 30 countries. The findings showed consistent age-related declines in semen volume and sperm performance, with increases in malformed and DNA-damaged sperm. Furthermore, semen quality was considered as a proxy for how fertile men are, according to researchers.

With future studies, researchers noted that understanding how age affects fertility could help to increase such importance as couples delay childbearing years later in life if different issues may get in the way.

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