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Male Fertility, Obesity, and Bariatric Surgery
Reproductive Sciences, 08/01/2012
Clinical Article
Reis L.O. and Dias F. G. F.– Obesity has become a new worldwide health problem with significant impact not only on cardiovascular diseases but also on many other related disorders, highlighting infertility. Obesity may adversely affect male reproduction by endocrinologic, thermal, genetic, and sexual mechanisms.There is good evidence that obesity can be associated with reduced sperm concentrations, but studies about sperm motility, morphology, and DNA fragmentation have been less numerous and more conflicting. Although weight loss is the cornerstone of the treatment of obesity–related infertility, with promising results in restoring fertility and normal hormonal profiles, bariatric surgery impact on male fertility is still unclear and until now there is not enough data to support the informed consent in this scenario. This paper stresses the need for well–structured trials controlled for confounders including female factors and based on solid outcomes (ie, birth rates) to clarify this emerging scenario.
