Link found between high cholesterol and infertility

As reported in the Washington Post, couples with high cholesterol have more difficulty conceiving than those with normal levels of the substance in their blood, researchers reported Tuesday, in what they called the first study to link fertility difficulties to the fat molecule commonly associated with cardiovascular problems.

In a study of 501 couples who were trying to conceive, the time it took for the woman to become pregnant was longest if both partners had high cholesterol. When the woman alone had high cholesterol, pregnancy was also delayed. A man with high cholesterol did not significantly delay pregnancy if the woman’s cholesterol reading was within the normal range, according to the study, conducted by the National Institutes of Health, the University at Buffalo and Emory University in Atlanta.

Cholesterol is critical to the production of hormones such as estrogen in women and testosterone in men, as well as sperm, said Enrique Schisterman, chief of the epidemiology branch of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, who led the study. Too much or too little cholesterol can interfere with that process, he said.

“We need optimal amounts,” Schisterman said. “An excess sometimes creates an imbalance of too much hormones, or too little hormones. You have to have a sweet spot.”

In addition to the link between cholesterol and fertility, Schisterman noted that the male’s role in conception difficulties is noteworthy. Both partners who want to have children should focus on living healthy lifestyles and keeping cholesterol levels down, said Schisterman.

And that’s the bottom line. More and more we are realizing that healthy lifestyles play an important role in enhancing fertility in both men and women. For more information please visit our Lifestyle & Fertility pages.