title: Impact of long-term and short-term therapies on seminal parameters.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this work was: i) to evaluate the prevalence of male partners of subfertile couples being treated with long/short term therapies for non andrological diseases; ii) to study their seminal profile for the possible effects of their treatments on spermatogenesis and/or epididymal maturation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group was made up of 723 subjects, aged between 25 and 47 years. Semen analysis was performed according to World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines (1999). The Superimposed Image Analysis System (SIAS), which is based on the computerized superimposition of spermatozoa images, was used to assess sperm motility parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of subjects taking pharmacological treatments was 22.7% (164/723). The prevalence was 3.7% (27/723) for the Short-Term Group and 18.9% (137/723) for the Long-Term Group. The subjects of each group were also subdivided into subgroups according to the treatments being received. Regarding the seminal profile, we did not observe a significant difference between the Long-Term, Short-Term or the Control Group. However, regarding the subgroups, we found a significant decrease in sperm number and progressive motility percentage in the subjects receiving treatment with antihypertensive drugs compared with the other subgroups and the Control Group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the management of infertile couples, the potential negative impact on seminal parameters of any drugs being taken as Long-Term Therapy should be considered. The pathogenic mechanism needs to be clarified.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Unit of Andrology, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome.
authors.forename: Jlenia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Elia
authors.forename: Norina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Imbrogno
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Delfino
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mazzilli
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Spinosa
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mazzilli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055101:Semen Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome