Paternal lifestyle factors in relation to semen quality and in vitro reproductive outcomes

This prospective-cohort study aimed at investigating the influence of paternal lifestyle factors on semen parameters and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcomes. The influence of paternal lifestyle factors on seminal quality and ICSI outcomes was investigated in male patients undergoing conventional semen analysis. Cigarette smoking negatively influenced semen volume (B: -0.417, slope: 1.570, p=0.047), sperm count/ml (B: -7.363, slope: 52.298, p=0.014), total sperm count (B: -4.43, slope: 178.165, p=0.023), total motile sperm count (B: -1.38, slope: 100.276, p=0.045) and SDF (B: 0.014, slope: 9.767, p=0.033). Alcohol consumption negatively influenced sperm count/ml (B: -12.527, slope: 42.255, p=0.040) and sperm DNA fragmentation (B: 5.833, slope: 9.680, p=0.002). There were no significant influences of other paternal lifestyle factors. Cigarette smoking negatively influenced the fertilisation rate (B: -1.349, slope: 21.950, p=0.039) and the blastocyst formation rate (B: -14.244, slope: 28.851, p=0.025). Alcohol consumption negatively influenced fertilisation rate (B: -3.617, slope: 20.138, p=0.041) and blastocyst formation rate (B: -34.801, slope: 30.044, p=0.042). Cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption appear to reduce semen quality, fertilisation and blastocyst formation rates; thus, it would be wise to recommend that male partners reconsider their lifestyle during in vitro reproduction treatment.