A large-scale study has found that men with lower semen quality tend to have shorter lifespans, regardless of their education level or existing health conditions.
Researchers analyzed data from 78,284 men in Denmark who underwent semen analysis between 1965 and 2015 due to infertility issues. The median age of participants was 32, and their health was tracked for up to 50 years using national mortality records.
Sperm Quality Reflects Overall Health
While male infertility is often seen as a reproductive issue, it may also signal deeper health concerns. Previous studies have shown that poor semen quality is tied to higher risks of chronic diseases and early death. The current study reinforces this connection.
Men with pre-existing illnesses had slightly higher sperm counts (51 million/mL) than healthy men (47 million/mL), but those with a history of cancer, heart disease, or reproductive disorders had notably lower sperm quality overall.
Lower Sperm Counts, Higher Death Rates
During the follow-up period, 8,600 men in the study died — about 11% of the total group. A clear pattern emerged: the worse a man’s semen quality, the higher his risk of death.
Men with a total motile sperm count (TMSC) of 120 million or more had an average life expectancy of 80.3 years. Those with azoospermia — no sperm in their semen — lived an average of 77.6 years, a drop of 2.7 years. Their risk of death was 39% higher than that of fertile men.
The study also found:
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Men with TMSC between 0 and 5 million had a life expectancy of 78 years.
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Those with TMSC between 5 and 10 million faced the highest death risk, 61% higher than fertile men.
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Even men with sperm counts considered within the normal range had higher mortality rates, depending on where their counts fell within the range.
Health Conditions and Sperm Quality
The researchers did not distinguish between types of azoospermia — obstructive (normal sperm production but a blockage) and non-obstructive (low or no sperm production due to disease). However, regardless of the type, low sperm counts consistently predicted worse outcomes.
Across all sperm quality levels, men with existing health issues faced greater mortality risks than their healthy counterparts. This suggests that some diseases may already be affecting the body by the time infertility is noticed.
Conclusion and Next Steps
The study confirms a strong link between semen quality and overall survival. Even when accounting for education and medical history, low semen quality remained a strong predictor of earlier death.
These findings highlight the need for further research to pinpoint the specific diseases linked to poor semen quality. Understanding these connections could help identify high-risk groups earlier and support preventive health programs aimed at improving both fertility and longevity.
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