Internet and Psychiatry

An Independent International Scientific Web Site to Promote Intellectual Values

Topics Alcohol and Drug Abuse Effect of chronic alcoholism on male fertility hormones and semen quality

Effect of chronic alcoholism on male fertility hormones and semen quality

Muthusami KR, Chinnaswamy P. Fertil Steril. 2005 Oct;84(4):919-24.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of chronic alcoholism on the male fertility hormones and quality of semen.
DESIGN: Non-probability purposive clinical study.
SETTING: Addiction treatment center and an academic research environment.
PATIENT(S): Sixty-six alcoholics free from smoking and drug abuse who consumed a minimum of 180 mL of alcohol per day (brandy and whisky, both 40%-50% alcohol content) for a minimum of 5 days per week for > or =1 year were included. Thirty nonsmoking nonalcoholics were selected as controls.
INTERVENTION(S): Before starting the addiction treatment for alcoholics, venous blood and semen samples were collected.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Complete blood counts, biochemical parameters, levels of the male fertility hormones FSH, LH, T, PRL, P, and E2 in blood, and semen parameters. RESULT(S): In alcoholics, FSH, LH, and E2 levels were significantly increased, and T and P levels were significantly decreased. No significant change was noted in PRL levels. Semen volume, sperm count, motility, and number of morphologically normal sperm were significantly decreased.
CONCLUSION(S): Chronic alcohol consumption has a detrimental effect on male reproductive hormones and on semen quality.