MUNICH, Germany, March 12 (UPI) -- About one third of men experiencing fertility issues are at a higher risk of developing metabolic diseases as they get older, according to a study presented at the European Association of Urology conference this week.
A group of Swedish researchers who assessed a group of 192 men with low sperm counts said about 33 percent of them experienced low testosterone levels. The team concluded the men were at risk for osteoporosis and diabetes as they aged.
"We found that a significant proportion of men from infertile couples show biochemical signs of hypogonadism," said study leader Dr. Aleksander Giwercman from Lund University. "We would recommend that levels of reproductive hormones should be checked in all men seeking advice for fertility problems. Those at risk of serious disease should be followed after the completion of fertility treatment. "
The study was published in a recent issue of the journal Clinical Endocrinology.
To complete the research, scientists tested blood samples, blood pressure, anthropometrics sperm counts and testosterone levels, among other markers.
"This study is very interesting, as is the question it poses; whether infertility in men below the age of 50 years might be used as a predictor for development of metabolic diseases including diabetes and osteoporosis later in life," said professor Jens Sonsken of the European Association of Urology Scientific Congress Office. "There is a significant need for more studies in this field."
