OBJECTIVE: To study the associations between self-reported psychological stress, semen quality, and serum reproductive hormones among young Danish men. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: University hospital-based research center. PARTICIPANT(S): Danish men (median age 19 years) from the general population were investigated from 2008 to 2012. INTERVENTION(S): Participants completed a questionnaire on health and lifestyle, including a four-item questionnaire about self-rated stress, had a physical examination performed, delivered a semen sample, and had a blood sample drawn. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Semen parameters (semen volume, sperm concentration, and percentages of motile and morphologically normal spermatozoa) and serum levels of reproductive hormones (LH, FSH, T, calculated free T, sex hormone-binding globulin, and inhibin B). RESULT(S): Poorer semen quality was detected among men with self-reported stress scores above an intermediate stress level, in a dose-response manner. For example, men with the highest stress levels had 38% (95% confidence interval [CI] 3%; 61%) lower sperm concentration, 34% (95% CI 59%; 106%) lower total sperm count, and 15% (95% CI 1%; 27%) lower semen volume than men with intermediate stress levels. No significant associations between self-reported stress and levels of reproductive hormones were detected. CONCLUSION(S): A negative association between self-reported stress and semen quality was detected. If causal, stress may be a contributing factor for suboptimal semen quality among otherwise healthy men.
OBJECTIVE: To study the associations between self-reported psychological stress, semen quality, and serum reproductive hormones among young Danish men. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: University hospital-based research center. PARTICIPANT(S): Danish men (median age 19 years) from the general population were investigated from 2008 to 2012. INTERVENTION(S): Participants completed a questionnaire on health and lifestyle, including a four-item questionnaire about self-rated stress, had a physical examination performed, delivered a semen sample, and had a blood sample drawn. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Semen parameters (semen volume, sperm concentration, and percentages of motile and morphologically normal spermatozoa) and serum levels of reproductive hormones (LH, FSH, T, calculated free T, sex hormone-binding globulin, and inhibin B). RESULT(S): Poorer semen quality was detected among men with self-reported stress scores above an intermediate stress level, in a dose-response manner. For example, men with the highest stress levels had 38% (95% confidence interval [CI] 3%; 61%) lower sperm concentration, 34% (95% CI 59%; 106%) lower total sperm count, and 15% (95% CI 1%; 27%) lower semen volume than men with intermediate stress levels. No significant associations between self-reported stress and levels of reproductive hormones were detected. CONCLUSION(S): A negative association between self-reported stress and semen quality was detected. If causal, stress may be a contributing factor for suboptimal semen quality among otherwise healthy men.
Authors: R Matthew Coward; Christy Stetter; Allen Kunselman; J C Trussell; Mark C Lindgren; Ruben R Alvero; Peter Casson; Gregory M Christman; Christos Coutifaris; Michael P Diamond; Karl R Hansen; Stephen A Krawetz; Richard S Legro; Randal D Robinson; James F Smith; Anne Z Steiner; Robert A Wild; Heping Zhang; Nanette Santoro Journal: J Urol Date: 2019-07-08 Impact factor: 7.450
Authors: H Kelestimur; O Bulmus; I Serhatlioglu; Z Ercan; S Ozer Kaya; A Yardimci; N Ulker; E Kacar; S Canpolat Journal: Physiol Res Date: 2021-09-10 Impact factor: 1.881
Authors: Nina Mørup; Alexander Siegfried Busch; Anne Kirstine Bang; Loa Nordkap; John E Nielsen; Ewa Rajpert-De Meyts; Anders Juul; Niels Jørgensen; Kristian Almstrup Journal: Sci Rep Date: 2017-12-08 Impact factor: 4.379
Authors: I de Nie; A Meißner; E H Kostelijk; A T Soufan; I A C Voorn-de Warem; M den Heijer; J Huirne; N M van Mello Journal: Hum Reprod Date: 2020-07-01 Impact factor: 6.918