Does last week's alcohol intake affect semen quality or reproductive hormones? A cross-sectional study among healthy young Danish men
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › peer-review
The association between last 5 days of alcohol intake, semen quality and reproductive hormones was estimated in this cross-sectional study among 347 men. Conventional semen characteristics, DNA fragmentation index and reproductive hormones (testosterone, estradiol, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and inhibin B) were determined. There was a tendency towards lower semen characteristics at higher intake of alcohol past 5 days, albeit with no statistically significant dose-response association. The ratio between free estradiol and free testosterone was higher at higher alcohol intake during the 5 days preceding semen sampling. In conclusion, alcohol intake was associated with impairment of most semen characteristics but without a coherent dose-response pattern. The study indicates an association between recent alcohol intake and a hormonal shift towards higher estradiol/testosterone ratio. The hormonal changes observed may over time, lead to adverse effects on semen quality, but longitudinal studies are needed to study this.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Reproductive Toxicology |
Volume | 34 |
Issue number | 3 |
Pages (from-to) | 457-62 |
Number of pages | 6 |
ISSN | 0890-6238 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2012 |
ID: 48432370