Male infertility linked to diabetes and weight

Two reports presented at a reproduction conference in Barcelona, Spain strongly links diabetes and being both over / underweight with male fertility .
Semen samples from men with diabetes reveal DNA damage under the microscope, a research team from Ireland reportedly commented. Dr. Mallindis of Queen’s University, Belfast, Northern Ireland reportedly commented: “Sperm RNA was significantly altered, and many of the changes we observed are in RNA transcripts involved in DNA repair,” he said. “And comparison with a database of men of proven fertility confirmed our findings. Diabetics have a significant decrease in their ability to repair sperm DNA, and once this is damaged, it cannot be restored.”
Mallidis reportedly continued: “We found a class of compounds known as advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in the male reproductive tract. These are formed as the result of glycation (the addition of sugar) and accumulate during normal aging. They are dependent on lifestyle, diet, smoking, etc., and in many diabetic complications are centrally implicated in DNA damage. We believe that they play a similar role in the male reproductive system.”