TY - JOUR
T1 - Are serum levels of vitamin D associated with semen quality? Results from a cross-sectional study in young healthy men
AU - Ramlau-Hansen, Cecilia Høst
AU - Moeller, Ulla Kristine
AU - Bonde, Jens Peter
AU - Olsen, Jørn
AU - Thulstrup, Ane Marie
N1 - Copyright © 2011 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
PY - 2011/3/1
Y1 - 2011/3/1
N2 - Objective: To examine the association between low serum vitamin D concentration and estimates of male reproductive function. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: University hospital. Patient(s): From a Danish pregnancy cohort established in 1984-1987, 347 sons were selected for a study conducted in 2005-2006. Intervention(s): Semen parameters and reproductive hormones were related to vitamin D concentrations in 307 men. Main Outcome Measure(s): Semen characteristics and reproductive hormones. Result(s): A high vitamin D level was unexpectedly associated with lower crude median total sperm count and percentage of normal morphology sperm and a high level of crude median sex hormone-binding globulin and FSH. After adjustment, the associations attenuated to nonsignificant associations, except for sex hormone-binding globulin. Additionally, adjusted free androgen index was lower at higher vitamin D levels, and men with high vitamin D had 11% (95% confidence interval, 1%-20%) lower free androgen index compared with men with low vitamin D. Conclusion(s): These results do not indicate that low vitamin D is a risk factor for poor semen quality in a population of young healthy men, but we may not have enough men with low vitamin D levels to detect an effect. New studies should include a larger proportion of vitamin D-deficient men.
AB - Objective: To examine the association between low serum vitamin D concentration and estimates of male reproductive function. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: University hospital. Patient(s): From a Danish pregnancy cohort established in 1984-1987, 347 sons were selected for a study conducted in 2005-2006. Intervention(s): Semen parameters and reproductive hormones were related to vitamin D concentrations in 307 men. Main Outcome Measure(s): Semen characteristics and reproductive hormones. Result(s): A high vitamin D level was unexpectedly associated with lower crude median total sperm count and percentage of normal morphology sperm and a high level of crude median sex hormone-binding globulin and FSH. After adjustment, the associations attenuated to nonsignificant associations, except for sex hormone-binding globulin. Additionally, adjusted free androgen index was lower at higher vitamin D levels, and men with high vitamin D had 11% (95% confidence interval, 1%-20%) lower free androgen index compared with men with low vitamin D. Conclusion(s): These results do not indicate that low vitamin D is a risk factor for poor semen quality in a population of young healthy men, but we may not have enough men with low vitamin D levels to detect an effect. New studies should include a larger proportion of vitamin D-deficient men.
U2 - 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2010.11.002
DO - 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2010.11.002
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 21122842
SN - 1546-2501
VL - 95
SP - 1000
EP - 1004
JO - Sexuality, Reproduction and Menopause
JF - Sexuality, Reproduction and Menopause
IS - 3
ER -