title: Relationship between semen production and medical comorbidity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the relationship between semen quality and current health status in a cohort of men evaluated for infertility.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fertility clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine thousand three hundred eighty-seven men evaluated for infertility between 1994 and 2011.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  Charlson comorbidity index, medical diagnoses by organ system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the time of evaluation, 9,387 men with a mean age of 38 years had semen data available. Of these men, 44% had at least one medical diagnosis unrelated to infertility. When stratifying the cohort by the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), differences in all measured semen parameters were identified. Men with a higher CCI had lower semen volume, concentration, motility, total sperm count, and morphology scores. In addition, men with diseases of the endocrine, circulatory, genitourinary, and skin diseases all showed significantly higher rates of semen abnormalities. Upon closer examination of diseases of the circulatory system, men with hypertensive disease, peripheral vascular and cerebrovascular disease, and nonischemic heart disease all displayed higher rates of semen abnormalities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current report identified a relationship between medical comorbidites and male semen production. Although genetics help guide a man's sperm production, his current condition and health play an important role.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California; Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California. Electronic address: eisenberg@stanford.edu.
authors.forename: Michael L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Eisenberg
authors.affiliation: Departments of Urology and Dermatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California.
authors.forename: Shufeng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California.
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Behr
authors.affiliation: Office of Research and Economic Development, Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana.
authors.forename: Renee Reijo
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Pera
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California.
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Cullen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004700:Endocrine System Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D052801:Male Urogenital Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D055101:Semen Analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Fertility; hypertension; male infertility; oligospermia; vascular disease