Body mass index and impact on semen quality of men attending an infertility clinic

Background: The reproductive consequences of lifestyle factors in men are still controversial. In this prospective study, we verified the impact of body mass index alterations on semen parameters of patients who attended an infertility clinic. Materials and Methods: Semen samples from 156 subjects aged 22 to 53 years were analyzed. Smokers were categorized as mild (≤ 10 cigarettes/day), moderate (10-20 cigarettes/day”) and heavy smokers (> 20 cigarettes/day”). Men were grouped based upon calculated body mass index values (underweight, <18.5 Kg/m2; normal, 18.5-24.9 Kg/m2; overweight, 25-29.9 Kg/m2; obese, ≥ 30 Kg/m2). The data collected included patient height and weight, semen volume, sperm concentration, percent sperm motility, percent sperm morphology (normal forms). Results: Body mass index did not significantly affect ejaculate volume and sperm concentration. Overweight and obese men showed a percentage of progressive motility (medians 20% and 10%, respectively) significantly lower than that reported in normal-weight men (median 30%; p=0.0043). Conclusion: Our results suggest that lifestyle factors as obesity could play a major role in male infertility.