Male fertility and lifestyles

Recently , the World Health Organization (WHO) released a disconcerting report: one in six people is affected, during their lifetime, by infertility, a condition that does not discriminate between men and women and that seems destined to increase with the passage of time.

Among the various factors that influence fertility, first and foremost there is certainly lifestyle. In fact, with regard to the impact of lifestyle on male fertile potential, it is known - today - that factors such as obesity and the intake of discretionary substances (smoking, alcohol and drugs) exert a negative effect not only in the immediate term, but also in the medium and long term. In particular, in the obese individual, adipose tissue, which is an endocrine organ, produces a range of hormonal factors that compromise male reproductive potential: this is why weight gain must be prevented from childhood. In addition to excess weight, exposure to cigarette smoke is also a serious risk factor for the health of the reproductive system, as it damages the penile vascular microcirculation, potentially compromising both erection and the achievement of orgasm.

In addition, the pro-oxidant effects, which derive from exposure to smoke, also have a direct action on spermatogenesis, altering sperm count and motility. In fact, the toxic substances present in cigarette smoke can cause damage to the chromatin and DNA of male gametes in direct proportion to the number of cigarettes smoked. Just one cigarette a day increases the risk of developing consequences due to the harmful effects of tobacco, for which there is no threshold below which exposure to this voluptuary substance is safe. The intake of high concentrations of alcohol also contributes to causing sub-fertility conditions, with similar mechanisms. 

In addition, drugs, primarily cannabis, reduce male fertile potential by interfering with libido and sexual behavior and reducing sperm count. On the contrary, good practices, including physical activity, are protective factors, both because they act by counteracting the risk associated with metabolic syndrome and obesity and because muscle activity generates a series of hormonal changes in the body with a positive effect on the endocrine and reproductive systems. From a nutritional point of view, basing one's diet on the principles of the Mediterranean diet, which has strong anti-inflammatory qualities, helps to preserve one's health and, therefore, also one's fertile potential.

In light of all this, it is clear that, during the andrological examination, knowledge of the patient's lifestyle is an important data for the doctor to be able to contextualize the possible condition of sub-fertility and to guide him, if necessary, towards a change in his incorrect habits. In addition to professionals in the medical field, the family and school, called upon to play an educational role, should also direct young people towards a correct and healthy lifestyle that promotes their health on all fronts, including reproductive health. In fact, the key to improving one's health and, in this case, one's fertile potential, is, once again, the promotion of a healthy life.