Colorado clinic determines men also have biological clocks

October 17, 2011

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LONE TREE - It is something many men do not think much about, but maybe they should. Many women are already thinking about their biological clocks when they reach the age of 30.

A new study released Monday links sperm quality to age for the very first time. The research comes from the Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine, and the study was introduced at a national conference for infertility specialists.

"We thought that men make sperm every 80 days, or ever three months, no matter what their chronological age, the sperm were just brand new - hot off the press, if you will," Dr. William Schoolcraft with the Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine. "Now it's looking like at middle age, around 40 or 50, that the capacity for men to make sperm declines, at least in terms of quality."

The study looked at the impact of age on male mice. They were mated with young female mice to avoid any question about the females' fertility. The research found that as the mice reached the middle of their lives, the human equivalent of 50 years old, fertility issues arose, not only with in vitro fertilization, but also natural conceptions.

Just 50 percent achieved pregnancy within a year's time.

"When we took the sperm and made embryos, like a test-tube baby, we saw the embryos weren't as healthy. They grew slower [and] they had fewer cells," Schoolcraft said. "Then we found when we put those embryos in and there was a pregnancy, the miscarriage rate was much higher."

The bottom line was: There are two biological clocks ticking.

"The eggs and the sperm still have their biological clock and if you wait, you can miss it," Schoolcraft said. "It tells us to take our blinders off and not to think just about the female."

The stats are just one reason why some women are choosing to freeze their eggs in their early 30s, with the hope that one day they will become mothers. Now, doctors say men should look at this study and consider their options as well.

"I think it's going to change how men view reproduction. If they are really serious about having a family, they may put away a couple of sperm samples as an insurance policy so if it is later in life when they conceive, they have the option of using that young sperm which is probably going to give them healthier babies," Schoolcraft said.

For more about the Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine, visit http://www.colocrm.com/.

Source: 9 News

Kim Christiansen

Channel 9 News

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