Will Diabetes Make Me Infertile?
According to the American Diabetes Association, more than 20 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes, and more than eight million are undiagnosed but assumed to have the condition. Diabetes is a serious health concern which requires careful attention and monitoring of diet, exercise and lifestyle habits. When diabetics take care of themselves, they can lead normal, healthy lives with relatively minimal daily impact from their condition. However, one unexpected concern that doesn’t usually come up in diabetes discussions with men is their fertility and the effect diabetes can have on trying to conceive. How does diabetes affect fertility? In men, diabetes is known to cause certain medical issues that make conception difficult or not possible without treatment. These conditions include erectile dysfunction, retrograde ejaculation, retarded (delayed) ejaculation, low sperm quality, and low testosterone, also known as hypogonadism. What are these male infertility conditions? Erectile dysfunction – Men who struggle with erectile dysfunction are unable to get or maintain an erection. Erectile dysfunction is caused by nerve damage and issues with proper blood circulation. It is most common in long-term diabetics and those with untreated diabetes. Retrograde ejaculation – This is when semen enters your bladder instead of exiting the body. This is not a serious health concern, but it will make it difficult to conceive without assisted reproductive technology. Retarded ejaculation – This is when a man struggles to ejaculate due to penile nerve damage, certain medications, stress or psychological issues, or diabetes. Assisted reproductive services are needed in order to address infertility caused by nerve damage. Low sperm quality – Sperm quality and sperm motility Continue reading >>
Diabetes May Affect Men's Fertility
May 2, 2007 -- Men with type 1 diabetes may have more DNA damage in their sperm, possibly hampering fertility, a preliminary study shows. The study was small and doesn't prove that type 1 diabetes causes male infertility. But the findings deserve further research, write the researchers, who are based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. They included Ishola Agbaje, MD, of the Reproductive Medicine Research Group at Queen's University of Belfast. Agbaje and colleagues studied semen and blood samples from 27 men with type 1 diabetes. Those men weren't necessarily infertile; they were invited to participate in the study while getting routine diabetes checkups. For comparison, the researchers also studied semen and blood samples from 29 men without diabetes who were undergoing infertility tests. Both groups of men were in their early to mid-30s, on average. The men with diabetes had lower semen volume than the men without diabetes. But the diabetes patients' semen volume was still within the normal range set by the World Health Organization (WHO). Sperm count, shape, and motion (motility) were similar in both groups of men. But when the researchers analyzed the sperms' DNA, they found more DNA damage in the diabetes patients' sperm. Sperm damage may increase infertility, note the researchers. Many factors can cause DNA damage. It's not clear whether diabetes was responsible for the DNA damage seen in the study. The study didn't include any men without diabetes who weren't undergoing infertility tests. Such men might have even less DNA damage in their sperm than the study groups, the researchers note. Agbaje's team calls for further studies on DNA sperm damage -- and its possible fertility consequences -- in men with type 1 diabetes. The study appears online in the journal Human Re Continue reading >>
Diabetes Alert: How Diabetes Affects Fertility
March 27 was American Diabetes Association Alert Day, a one-day wake-up call asking Americans to take a Diabetes Risk Test to find out if they are at risk for prediabetes or Type 2 Diabetes. There are nearly 26 million Americans living with diabetes, which is a disorder of the metabolism. Type 2 is its most common form of diabetes. With Type 2, a person's body is insulin-resistant, meaning the body produces insulin, but does not use it effectively to move glucose from the blood and into the cells. Thus, the glucose builds up in the blood and passes out of the body in the urine, and the body loses its main source of fuel. Prediabetes is a condition that affects 79 million Americans. With prediabetes, blood glucose levels that are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Diabetes can affect the fertility of both men and women by affecting hormones and other bodily functions in such as way as to make it difficult to conceive. Insulin is a hormone, and when a hormone is out of balance, it can cause other hormones, such as estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, to get out of balance. In women, Type 2 diabetes is linked to polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), which is a common hormonal disorder that causes anovulation and infertility. In addition, obesity is common in women with Type 2 diabetes, and studies have found that women who are obese take longer to get pregnant and produce eggs that create embryos of lower quality. In men, scientists have found that DNA damage in the sperm of diabetic men is higher than in the sperm of men who do not have diabetes. In addition, nerve damage from diabetes can lead to retrograde ejaculation in which the semen goes into the bladder and never reaches the woman's reproductive system. Erectile dysfunction i Continue reading >>
Infertility In Women
Tweet Diabetes is associated with lower rates of fertility. There are a number of reasons which can play a part including, obesity, being underweight, having diabetic complications, having PCOS and having an autoimmune disease. With this said, many women with diabetes are able to conceive, particularly if diabetes is well controlled and a healthy body weight is maintained. Conditions The following conditions are associated with reduced fertility rates: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) Oligomenorrhea (irregular periods) Secondary amenorrhea (absent periods) Premature menopause (premature ovarian failure) Endometrial cancer (uterine cancer) Microvascular and cardiovascular complications Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) PCOS is a common condition in which a large number of cysts develop on the ovaries. Whilst this feature does not in itself pose a health risk, it can reduce fertility. Women with PCOS have higher than normal levels of testosterone (hyperandrogenism). PCOS can affect fertility by leading to irregular periods (oligomenorrhea) or absent periods (secondary amenorrhea). The condition can be treated through making lifestyle changes, while medications such as clomifene and metformin can help with improving the chances of conception. PCOS is particularly associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes. People with type 1 diabetes that are taking high amounts of insulin daily may also be at risk of or suffer from PCOS. Oligomenorrhea and secondary amenorrhea Oligomenorrhea is the term for irregular periods that arrive at intervals of 35 days or more between each period. Secondary amenorrhea is said to occur if you have previously had a normal menstrual cycle but have stopped getting a periods for 6 months or longer. Both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes are associate Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Male Infertility: What Are The Concerns?
Diabetes is a worldwide epidemic with significant impacts on multiple aspects of men's health. 3.5 in every 1000 reproductive aged men (18-45 years old) in the United States are living with diabetes 1. While it is true that many Americans are aware of diabetes' impact on cardiovascular, renal, ophthalmologic, and neurologic health, many do not know that it can also negatively impact fertility. This occurs through a number of ways including: erectile dysfunction, ejaculatory dysfunction, hypogonadism and semen abnormalities. Diabetes is a well-known risk factor for developing erectile dysfunction. Diabetes affects the nerves and blood vessels throughout the body, including those that supply the penis. Damage to the nerves can cause decreased sensation and arousal, while the decreased blood flow to the penis can lead to difficulty achieving or maintaining erections firm enough for a satisfactory sexual encounter 2. Solutions for men suffering from erectile dysfunction are wide and varied, and the first line treatments are oral medications called PDE 5 inhibitors (Cialis, Levitra, Stendra, Viagra). These medications help relax the smooth muscle in the penis, thereby increasing the blood flow and allowing for erections. If oral medications fail, patients may be offered intracavernosal injections, intraurethral suppositories, vacuum erectile devices with constricting bands, and penile prosthesis surgery 3. Ejaculatory dysfunction is another problem encountered among men with diabetes. Normal ejaculation is essential to allow for deposition of semen into the female reproductive tract, where male sperm can then fertilize a female egg. Damage to the nerves from long standing diabetes can cause a failure of the mechanism that propels sperm forward. This can allow sperm to go bac Continue reading >>
Can Diabetes Cause Infertility In Men?
According to a recent report by IDF (International Diabetes Federation), India continues to be the “diabetes capital” of the world, and by 2030, nearly 9 percent of the country’s population is likely to be affected by diabetes. Given the stats, it is important to keep your blood glucose level in control, especially if you are planning to start a family as diabetes can affect your sex life as well. Women can suffer from diabetes during pregnancy, known as gestational diabetes, which can put the mother and the child at risk of diabetes in the near future, but high blood glucose level in men (if left uncontrolled) can cause infertility. Dr Anubha Singh, Gynecologist and IVF Specialist from Shantah IVF Centre shares how diabetes can cause male infertility. How diabetes causes male infertility Not many people know that men with diabetes may take longer to bring about a conception in their wives. Diabetes can directly affect the fertility in the human body, and the chances of infertility in men with diabetes are higher as compared to infertility in women with diabetes. This is because high glucose level causes oxidative stress which damages the DNA of the sperm. Fragmented or damaged DNA further causes a natural death of the cells making it difficult for men to make their wives pregnant. Not just this, uncontrolled diabetes can affect the small blood vessels and nerves that lead to ejaculation, leading to erectile dysfunction. Moreover, increased blood glucose levels can lower the levels of testosterone, a hormone that controls sexual drive in men. Here’s more on ways diabetes kills your sex life. On the other hand, if your wife is pregnant with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, she might have the higher chances of abortion or miscarriage. Moreover, babies of a mother with g Continue reading >>
Diabetes Linked To Male Infertility
UK scientists have discovered that DNA damage in the sperm of diabetic men is higher than in the sperm of men who do not have diabetes. They suggest this may make diabetic men less fertile. You can read about the study in the journal Human Reproduction. The researchers, led by Dr Ishola Agbaje, a research fellow in the Reproductive Medicine Research Group at Queen's University, Belfast, compared the quality of the sperm from diabetic men with non-diabetic men by examining nuclear and mitochondrial DNA (MtDNA) . The participants were 27 diabetic men whose average age was 34 and 29 non-diabetic men whose average age was 33. The results showed that: -- Semen volume was lower in diabetic men compared with non-diabetic men (2.6 and 3.3 ml respectively). -- But sperm concentration was not significantly different between the two groups. -- Total sperm output, form, structure and "motility" (ability to move) were also largely the same in the diabetic and non-diabetic men. -- The nuclear DNA in diabetic men's sperm cells was more fragmented than that of the non-diabetic men (52 per cent versus 32 per cent). -- There were more deletions in the mitochondrial DNA of diabetic men's sperm cells than those of the non-diabetic men. -- The mitochondrial DNA deletions in the diabetic men's sperm cells ranged from 3 to 6 and averaged 4, while for the non-diabetic men it ranged from 1 to 4 and averaged 3. The study concluded that: "Diabetes is associated with increased sperm nuclear and mtDNA damage that may impair the reproductive capability of these men." Deletions and fragmentation of DNA results in loss of genetic material which, in the case of nuclear DNA, causes infertility as the sperm is not able to deliver its full complement of genetic codes in fusion with the egg to create a via Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Infertility: When Blood Sugar Control Isn’t Enough
An excerpt from the book, Balancing Pregnancy With Pre-Existing Diabetes: Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby. Maybe your blood sugars have been great and you’ve been having ongoing sex with your partner. But if you’re still not pregnant after six to twelve months of trying, you’re considered infertile. Dealing with infertility and diabetes can feel like an energy-draining double whammy of health issues, but you’re not alone. There’s a definite group of women with diabetes who require even more maintenance and medical specialists to figure out why, once again, their bodies aren’t doing what seems to come naturally for everyone else. What’s Going On? Infertility is an inability to get pregnant. You are considered infertile after a year of actively trying to conceive (i.e., having unprotected sex around the time you ovulate) if you are younger than 35, and after six months if you’re 35 or older, or if you have a history of many miscarriages. The timeframe is key: It can take some fertile couples that long to conceive naturally, while older women are advised to seek help sooner since fertility declines rapidly with age. About 10 to 15 percent of all couples experience infertility. Of those, about 40 to 50 percent are caused by female infertility, while another 30 to 40 percent are caused by male infertility. The rest are either a combination of male and female factors, or are simply unexplained as one of life’s many mysteries. Several factors can lead to infertility, according to the national infertility association RESOLVE: age, weight, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), Fallopian tube disease, endometriosis, exposure to a chemical known as Diethylstilbestrol (DES), smoking, and alcohol use. Diabetes and Infertility: Are They Related? While all the above are ge Continue reading >>
Risk Of Diabetes According To Male Factor Infertility: A Register-based Cohort Study
Risk of diabetes according to male factor infertility: a register-based cohort study Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine Correspondence address. Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Capital Region of Denmark, Bispebjerg Frederiksberg Hospital, Bispebjerg Bakke 23, Building 20C, 1.floor, DK-2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark. Tel: +45-5160-2515; E-mail: [email protected] Search for other works by this author on: Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine Research Center for Prevention and Health (RCPH) Human Reproduction, Volume 32, Issue 7, 1 July 2017, Pages 14741481, Clara Helene Glazer, Jens Peter Bonde, Aleksander Giwercman, Ditte Vassard, Anja Pinborg, Lone Schmidt, Elvira Vaclavik Bruner; Risk of diabetes according to male factor infertility: a register-based cohort study, Human Reproduction, Volume 32, Issue 7, 1 July 2017, Pages 14741481, Is male factor infertility associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes? The study provides evidence that male factor infertility may predict later occurrence of diabetes mellitus with the risk being related to the severity of the underlying fertility problem. Previous cross-sectional studies have shown an increased prevalence of comorbidities among infertile men when compared to controls. In this prospective cohort study, 39 516 men who had since 1994 undergone fertility treatment with their female partner were identified from the Danish national IVF register, which includes data on assumed cause of couple infertility (male/female factor, mixed and unexplained infertility) and type of fertility treatment. With a median follow-up time of 5.6 years, each man was followed for diabetes occurrence from enrollme Continue reading >>
Infertility & Pre-diabetes – What's The Relationship?
Because of that, we will be dedicating Mondays in November to this topic and how it relates to infertility and fertility treatment. Reproductive Medicine Associates of Connecticut (RMACT) has had its focus on this topic for quite a while. Carolyn Gundell, MS, one of RMACT’s Fertility Nutritionists talked about diabetes and its connection to fertility three years ago in 2012 on PathtoFertility. In case you haven’t had a chance to read her thoughtful piece, here it is again. Best thing about Carolyn’s piece? How hopeful it is. And how she explains things in a way that is manageable and accessible to a non-clinical person reading it. Pre-diabetes and diabetes are conditions that do need to be examined if you are trying to conceive. Isn’t it a relief to know that there are programs in place, led by qualified, knowledgeable and passionate professionals that can turn a situation around so that it’s safe and effective to try to become and stay pregnant? Think of this as a preview for November. You will hear more from Carolyn Gundell, MS, Dr. Spencer Richlin, (RMACT’s Surgical Director and lead physician for the Diabetes Program), Melissa Kelleher, LCSW (one of RMACT’s Fertility Counselors) and more. Do you have questions about why this is an important subject? Or how it could affect you? Please let us know. We’re happy to find the right person to answer your questions. When it comes to pre-diabetes and diabetes, we have made sure that we have the right professionals to help with these serious, but manageable problems. ~Lisa Rosenthal November is Diabetes Awareness Month. As I think about this, I recall many patients who I have counseled through ourNutrition Program for pre-diabetic and diabetic conditions. I remember their disappointment as we discussed that th Continue reading >>
Fertility Issues In Women With Diabetes
Diabetes mellitus Type 1 and Type 2 should be considered in the differential diagnosis of menstrual abnormalities and infertility. The reproductive period of diabetic women may be reduced due to delayed menarche and premature menopause. During the reproductive years, diabetes has been associated with menstrual abnormalities, such as oligomenorrhea and secondary amenorrhea. It was found that better glycemic control and prevention of diabetic complications improves these irregularities and increases fertility rates close to those that are seen in the general population. Women with persistent menstrual abnormalities despite adequate treatment need to be approached by broader evaluation, which will include the examination of the hypothalamicpituitaryovarian axis and the hormonal status, presence of autoimmune thyroid disease and antiovarian autoantibodies, and hyperandrogenism. Diabetes is a disease that affects millions of people and their families. The WHO estimates that more than 180 million people worldwide have diabetes. This number is likely to more than double by 2030.[ 1 ] Type 1 diabetes, which predominately affects youth, is rising alarmingly worldwide, at a rate of 3% per year. Some 70,000 children aged 14 and under develop Type 1 diabetes annually. Type 2 diabetes is also increasing in number among children and adolescents as obesity rates in this population continue to soar, in both developed and developing nations.[ 101 ] Diabetes affects women in many ways, and one of them will be the focus of the present review the association between diabetes mellitus and infertility ( Box 1 ). Table 1. Standardized fertility ratios among women hospitalized for Type 1 diabetes at 16 years of age, stratified by type of complications (19652004, Sweden). SFR for Type 1 diabet Continue reading >>
How Does Diabetes Affect Female Fertility?
Question: How does diabetes affect female fertility? Answer: There is somewhat of a relationship between diabetes and fertility. Young women with diabetes, either type 1 or type 2, tend, on average, to start their periods a little bit later in life than women without diabetes. Then, on the other end of the spectrum, women with diabetes tend to go through menopause slightly earlier, so this provides a slightly smaller window of fertility for women with diabetes. In addition, many women with type 2 diabetes have an underlying syndrome called 'polycystic ovarian syndrome.' We call it 'PCOS.' PCOS is associated with insulin resistance, which is a major player in type 2 diabetes, and so that's why there's a relationship between these two issues. Because of the effects of PCOS on the ovaries, women with type 2 diabetes and PCOS may find a harder time with conception than women without diabetes. So, that's really the relationship between diabetes and fertility. And, if a woman does want to get pregnant and has diabetes, it's critically important for her to be in good control of her blood glucose levels with an A1c below 7 percent before she goes off of contraceptive agents and starts trying to get pregnant. Previous: Does Menopause Change Insulin Sensitivity, And What About Hormone Replacement Therapy After Menopause? Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Fertility: How Diabetes Can Affect Your Fertility
You’ve have been trying with no luck to get pregnant and have not been able to a find a reason for your infertility. You may have tried a fertility cleanse, begun eating a fertility diet, and are taking all the right supplements and herbs, but are still having trouble conceiving. It may be time to have a simple blood test to determine if your glucose levels are too high. With the rates of Type II diabetes rising every year in the U.S., more and more infertility specialists are looking toward this health issue as a main cause of some otherwise unexplained infertility cases they see. According to the American Diabetes Association, there are more than 200,000 new cases of Type II diabetes diagnosed every year, with another 2.4% of the general childbearing population suffering from the disease but not knowing it. When it comes to diabetes and infertility the answer is clear: there is a connection. No, in many cases (especially among women), diabetes alone does not keep them from getting pregnant, but it oftentimes keeps them from staying pregnant. In many cases, say fertility doctors, “a woman with higher than normal glucose levels does get pregnant month after month. Unfortunately her diabetes status prevents that embryo from implanting in the uterus, causing a miscarriage before she ever realizes she is pregnant.” In this case, the diabetes isn’t preventing conception, but is preventing an ongoing pregnancy. High glucose levels are reported to increase a woman’s chances of miscarriage by 30-60% according to statistics released by the American Diabetes Association. Even when implantation does occur, there are other risks to consider, including: An increased risk of birth defects due to damage caused to embryonic cells form the high levels of glucose in the blood Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Male Fertility - Infertility, Retrograde Ejaculation, Sperm Quality
Erectile dysfunction is a common problem associated with diabetes that causes difficulty with getting or maintaining an erection. It is caused by neuropathy (nerve damage) and reduced blood circulation typically as a result of less well controlled diabetes or long standing diabetes. High levels of blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol are all associated with an increased risk of erectile difficulties. Getting these under control, as well as cutting down on alcohol and quitting smoking can help to reduce the effects of ED. A number of different treatment options are also available. Ejaculation problems can also result if nerves in the penis become damaged . Lack of nerve sensitivity is one problem which can affect the ability to ejaculation. Retarded, delayed and impaired ejaculation are all terms which describe a difficulty in achieving ejaculation. Note that retarded ejaculation can also be caused or influenced by psychological problems, age and by certain medications. If impaired ejaculation is brought on psychological problems then treatment, such as through counselling or psychosexual therapy . Ejaculation problems caused by nerve damage tend not to be treatable but it may be possible to find sex positions that result in improved nerve stimulation. Assisted reproduction technology (ART), such as IVF, can help with treating infertility if conception via intercourse is problematic or impossible. Another problem that may result from neuropathy ( autonomic neuropathy ) is retrograde ejaculation. This occurs if nerves are unable to control the muscles of the bladder from closing at the point of ejaculation, which results in semen entering the bladder rather than exiting via the penis. Retrograde ejaculation does not cause health problems but can impair conceptio Continue reading >>
Fertility Issues In Women With Diabetes.
Abstract Diabetes mellitus Type 1 and Type 2 should be considered in the differential diagnosis of menstrual abnormalities and infertility. The reproductive period of diabetic women may be reduced due to delayed menarche and premature menopause. During the reproductive years, diabetes has been associated with menstrual abnormalities, such as oligomenorrhea and secondary amenorrhea. It was found that better glycemic control and prevention of diabetic complications improves these irregularities and increases fertility rates close to those that are seen in the general population. Women with persistent menstrual abnormalities despite adequate treatment need to be approached by broader evaluation, which will include the examination of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis and the hormonal status, presence of autoimmune thyroid disease and antiovarian autoantibodies, and hyperandrogenism. Continue reading >>
