A man who has never had any children has a greater chance of dying from cardiovascular disease than fathers, researchers from Stanford University School of Medicine, California, reported in the journal Human Reproduction. The authors say that they do not know whether male infertility is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. They tracked 137,903 men who were members of the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) for a period of ten years. They had set out to find out whether there might be link between the number of offspring a man has had with his long-term health. They found a link between parental status and cardiovascular risk. However, they stress that their findings in no way provide proof of a cause and effect.
They restricted the list to men who were either married or had been married because they wanted to compare males who had the intent and the opportunity to have children. Men with previous underlying diseases, such as stroke,, heart disease or some related condition were excluded. Hence, the men in their list started off in relatively good health. Approximately 10% of the men died during the study. About 20% of those deaths were caused by cardiovascular disease. They found that a childless man had a 17% greater chance of dying from a cardiovascular disease compared to fathers. Mortality from all causes was slightly higher among the childless men. However, this increase was nearly completely due to cardiovascular disease. If cardiovascular disease risk was taken out, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups.
In this study, there was no way of assessing a man's reproductive intent.. However, by not including unmarried men in this study, childlessness was brought a step closer to being a proxy for infertility.
Another reproductive issue that raises the risk of cardiovascular disease is erectile dysfunction as detailed in Dr. Meldrum's book, "Survival of the Firmest: The Canary in the Coalmine." I highly recommend it for men with erectile dysfunction.
Men with lower sperm quality have been shown to have a less healthful diet, which would also be expected to lead to more cardiovascular disease. Just as erectile dysfunction can indicate poor lifestyle habits and can be an important indicator of cardiovascular risk, it appears that male infertility also predicts future cardiovascular disease. On our web site, http://www.erectile-function.com, we discuss the lifestyle changes that will result in better fertility, improved erectile function, and a longer and healthier life. If our book, Survival of the Firmest, is ordered, a free download will be provided of our expanded book that gives much more detail regarding healthy lifestyle habits.
David R. Meldrum, MD, scientific director, Reproductive Partners Medical Group.
Clinical Professor, UCLA and UCSD