Men’sHealth Men’s Biological Clock By Ernst Lamothe Jr.
M
en often joke that a women’s biological clock can be heard clearly ticking from the other side of the table during a first date. And it reaches a piercing crescendo after the words “I love you” first get uttered in a relationship. However as men start moving out of their 30s, the ticking is no longer coming from only one side of the table. Jamil Mroueh, a physician from the Rochester Fertility Care, said while the female biological clock is often talked about, men have one too. Their testosterone and sperm count start seeing a dramatic decline after age 40. In addition, due to health illness, typical decrease in sex and the decline of muscle mass and strength also leads to harder fertility for older men. “We all get older and things don’t work as well as they used to. That’s just a part of life,” said Mroueh. “It’s just scientific fact that sperm quantity and quality are going to decrease if you are an older man.” Even though men can have children at much older ages than women, Father Time isn’t ageless. Several studies at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, the Archives of General Psychiatry and research done in Ireland have found the advanced age of fathers can lead to several medical ailments for the child. Men who are over 35 years old have a higher likelihood of having a Downs syndrome child. Research from the Journal of Urology said 50 percent of the cause was attributed to the sperm. “That’s the dirty little secret because we think of men as being able to have kids at any age. But when a man starts hitting 40, you start seeing
conditions such as diabetes and liver cirrhosis can cause abnormal male ejaculation due to nerve damage. Then there are easy fixes like keeping your laptop away from your lap when working because intense heat around that region has a negative impact, as well as taking multi vitamins. Doctors also recommend limiting your alcohol and caffeine intake.
Older Guys dramatic decreases in fertility,” said Kevin Lederer, president of the Fertility Centers of Illinois. When it comes to autism, there is six times greater chance of a child being diagnosed of the ailment if their father was 40 years of age or older. In addition, the risk of schizophrenia was connected to men who bore children after the age of 50. “A lot of couples are putting off kids until later in life, so as they get older they start needing more fertility clinics because the quality of sperm has decreased,” said Lederer, who recommends going to a fertility clinic when a couple is deciding if they want children. A fertility test will show three components; the number of sperm, the percent of mobility and the percent of normal sperm, which are the ones with
the highest likelihood to penetrate the egg. A healthy man has at least 14 million sperm with a 40 percent mobility rate and 14 percent normal, non-irregular shaped sperm. Numbers lower than that might be an indication that having children might take a little more time, especially when older. Mroueh warns men against taking testosterone pills if their numbers are not high enough. “People think if you have high levels of testosterone then you will have a better chance at conceiving. But too high levels keep the brain from sending messages to the testicles to produce sperm,” said Mroueh. Doctors recommend several steps to boost sperm quantity and quality. First, a healthy lifestyle vastly improves both. Those who had lower body mass indexes and who worked out increased their testosterone levels. Obesity has an impact on male fertility because it decreases libido and lowers testosterone. “Following a vegetarian diet would be helpful and so would lowering the amount of carbs in your diet,” added Lederer. Smoking has been linked to 13 percent of infertility. Also chronic
• Contrary to popular belief, it’s not only hard drugs that affect male fertility. Prescription drugs, antibiotics, blood pressure medication and even exposure to lead and mercury can affect the quality and quantity of sperm. • No matter how healthy the man, not all sperm will be perfect in shape and ability to move. The average male has roughly 14 percent of sperm of a normal shape and size, and 40 percent with the ability to move properly. • Male infertility is quite common. About 2 million U.S. men are diagnosed with infertility. • Male infertility is not only genetic. It can also be caused by several different factors — cancer diagnosis, injury, lifestyle, infection or immune deficiency. • Men have an 18 percent decrease in normal quality sperm after the age of 50. • The most common cause of male infertility? Low sperm count.
Lose Weight Now With Medical Help!
Rochester’s Center for Medical Weight Loss
Lose 20, 50, 100 Pounds or More!
NurtiMed® Weight Loss Program FDA Approved Weight Loss Medications to those who need them Endorsed by American Society of Bariatric Physicians Full Metabolic Analysis, Weekly Coaching, Medical Monitoring Weekly Education in Behavior Modification, Nutrition and Exercise Save $250 on First 12 Weeks of Rapid Weight Loss Now!
CENTER FOR MEDICAL WEIGHT LOSS AND COSMETIC MEDICINE 3300 Monroe Ave., Suite 345, Rochester, NY 14618 (585) 381-9966 • www.newgensis.com Page 12
•
IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • March 2013