Consumers of tobacco and alcohol have alterations in sperm

Consumption of both tobacco and alcohol is associated with impaired sperm quality, according to a study published in the Argentine "Fertility & Sterility" magazine.
The effects of tobacco and alcohol on sperm quality have been the subject of several studies, often on small numbers of samples, giving conflicting results.

Dr. Ana Carolina Martini, National University of Cordoba, and colleagues studied 3,976 patients treated in a treatment center for infertility.

They found, at first, that the level of consumption of cigarettes or alcohol did not affect sperm quality. Therefore, they have limited their analysis to smoking or not and to drink alcohol or not.

Taken separately, these two parameters were not associated with a change in the quality of sperm.

In contrast, men who both smoked and drank alcohol, regardless of the importance of their consumption significantly impaired sperm quality was observed.

Thus, compared to men not smoking and not drinking, seminal volume was reduced (2.7 ml against 3.0 ml) and sperm concentration (45.3 million / ml against 50.9 million / ml ), the percentage of motile sperm (39.6% against 44.0%), the percentage of rapid sperm (27.2% against 31.6%), while the percentage of viable sperm was still higher (38, 9% against 36.0%).

"Although semen quality is not altered drastically by alcohol and cigarettes, there are significant changes suggesting a synergistic or additive effect of both on the male reproductive function," the authors conclude.

"Men who want to procreate should be specifically warned of such consequences," they say.