Epidemiology of sperm DNA fragmentation in a retrospective cohort of 1,191 men.

Age is the factor that is most strongly associated with sperm DFI levels. Our analysis of 1,191 samples indicates that between the ages of 19 and 59, sperm DFI increases by an average of 2% each year. Intriguingly, from an epidemiological perspective, the warm season (spring/summer) is associated with higher sperm DFI in the study population, possibly due to the deleterious effect of temperature on sperm quality. Some neurological diseases, such as epilepsy, are associated with decreased sperm DNA integrity. This observation could be related to the iatrogenic effects of associated therapies. In the study cohort, BMI did not appear to be correlated with DFI. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.