The impact of obesity on male reproduction: its biological significance

MARTINI AC; MOLINA RI; TISSERA A; RUIZ RD ; FIOL DE CUNEO M

Exp Rev Endocrinol Metab

Future Science Group

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2013 vol. 8 p. 139 - 148

1744-6651

SUMMARY Since obesity and male subfertility have increased in parallel during the last decades, there might exist an association between these two phenomenons; this hypothesis has been explored by several researchers. Although there is no consensus, it is apparent that obesity may impact men´s reproductive potential by several mechanisms that include alterations on the hypothalamus-pituitary-testicular axis physiology, modifications on spermatogenesis and semen quality and/or impairment of men´s sexual health. This review intends to summarize the underlying bases of such alterations and propose some new ones, without miscalculating their biological significance. Evidences demonstrated that obesity is not rigorously related to subfertility and currently researchers are exploring the existence of a genetic predisposition to obesity-linked sterility. Nonetheless the impact of obesity on male reproductive potential must be fully elucidated, because the prevalence of obesity is growing and consequently the number of obese men with reduced fertility will rise as well.