Lead author, Michael Eisenberg, M.D., said, “For members of this group of reproductive-age men, they usually don’t go to the doctor unless there is a big problem. A lot of time fertility is one of the first things that brings them to the doctor, so in some ways that might be an opportunity to engage the healthcare system and see what’s going on with their general health.”
The researchers explored medical records of over 115,000 reproductive-aged men and compared health conditions of infertile men to men without an infertility diagnoses and those who received a vasectomy. The researchers looked at the men’s records before and after fertility testing to observe any health effects that occurred.
When adjusting results for known risk factors of heart disease and diabetes, a correlation still emerged that revealed infertile men have a higher risk of developing such health conditions. Men with the highest form of male infertility were at greatest risk for alcohol abuse and renal disease.
Aside from low testosterone being a risk factor, environmental factors during fetal development, too, could contribute to this heightened risk.
Dr. Eisenberg suggests that men get regularly checked if they suspect infertility or reproductive issues to monitor their health.
Sources:
http://www.ndtv.com/health/impotent-men-at-higher-risk-of-heart-disease-diabetes