Category Ranking

98%

Total Visits

921

Avg Visit Duration

2 minutes

Citations

20

Article Abstract

Objective: To determine whether male infertility or impaired spermatogenesis is associated with mortality.

Methods: The Optum de-identified Clinformatics Data Mart database was queried from 2003 to 2017. Infertile men were compared to subjects undergoing semen analysis (ie, infertility testing). Infertile men with oligozoospermia or azoospermia were included. Mortality was determined by data linkage to the Social Security Administration Death Master File. Results were adjusted for age, smoking, obesity, year of evaluation, and health care visits as well as for most prevalent comorbidities. We separately examined men with prevalent or incident cardiovascular disease and cancer diagnoses to determine associations with mortality.

Results: A total of 134,796 infertile men and 242,282 controls were followed for a mean of 3.6 and 3.1 years respectively. Overall, infertile men had a higher risk of death (Hazard Ratio [HR]= 1.42, 95% CI: 1.27-1.60) The diagnosis of azoospermia was associated with a significantly increased risk of death (HR= 2.01, 95% CI: 1.60-2.53) with a higher trend among men with oligospermia (HR: 1.17, 95% CI: 0.92-1.49) compared to controls. Subanalysis was done excluding prevalent cardiovascular and malignant disease (alone and combined) showing similar hazard ratios.

Conclusion: Male infertility is associated with a higher risk of mortality especially among azoospermic men. Prevalent disease (which is known to be higher among infertile men) did not explain the higher risk of death among infertile men. The implications for treatment and surveillance of infertile men require further study.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.urology.2020.07.087DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

infertile men
28
higher risk
12
risk death
12
men
11
male infertility
8
men prevalent
8
infertile
7
higher
5
increased mortality
4
mortality men
4

Similar Publications

Mumps virus infection triggers early pro-inflammatory responses and impairs Leydig and Sertoli cell function in an ex vivo human testis model.

Hum Reprod

September 2025

Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Santé Publique, Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail, Université de Rennes-UMR_S1085, Rennes, France.

Study Question: What is the direct effect of mumps virus (MuV) replication within the human testis on the tissue innate immune responses and testicular cell functions?

Summary Answer: MuV induces an early pro-inflammatory response in the human testis ex vivo and infects both Leydig cells and Sertoli cells, which drastically alters testosterone and inhibin B production.

What Is Known Already: Despite widespread vaccination efforts, orchitis remains a significant complication of MuV infection, especially in young men, which potentially results in infertility in up to 87% of patients with bilateral orchitis. Our understanding of MuV pathogenesis in the human testis has been limited by the lack of relevant animal models, impairing the development of effective treatments.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The genetic etiology is unknown for 30-40% of men with congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (CBAVD) and 70% of those with congenital unilateral absence of the vas deferens (CUAVD). The study aimed to investigate the genetic etiology of CBAVD/CUAVD, both with and without renal anomalies, in individuals who are negative for CFTR pathogenic variants. We included 19 cases of congenital absence of vas deferens (CAVD) that were negative for CFTR variants on Sanger sequencing.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Varicocele is a common, correctable cause of male infertility, often associated with impaired spermatogenesis. Microsurgical subinguinal varicocelectomy is considered the gold standard for varicocele repair, with documented benefits on semen quality, particularly sperm count.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of microsurgical varicocelectomy on sperm count in infertile men diagnosed with clinical varicocele.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The Psychological Impact of Male Infertility: A Narrative Review.

Cureus

August 2025

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Kalinga Institute of Nursing Sciences, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Deemed to be University (KIIT-DU), Bhubaneswar, IND.

Male infertility is a major health concern worldwide. While biological causes are well understood, the psychological aspects receive less focus. This gap is evident in clinical practice and research, where emotional, social, and mental health issues linked to male infertility are often neglected or inadequately managed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Non-obstructive azoospermia represents the most severe form of male infertility. The heterogeneous nature of focal spermatogenesis within the testes of non-obstructive azoospermia patients poses significant challenges for accurately predicting sperm retrieval rates.

Objectives: To develop a machine learning-based predictive model for estimating sperm retrieval rates in patients with non-obstructive azoospermia.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF