TY - JOUR

T1 - Psychological stress and testicular function

T2 - a cross-sectional study of 1,215 Danish men

AU - Nordkap, Loa

AU - Jensen, Tina Kold

AU - Hansen, Åse Marie

AU - Lassen, Tina Harmer

AU - Bang, Anne Kirstine

AU - Joensen, Ulla Nordström

AU - Jensen, Martin Blomberg

AU - Skakkebæk, Niels Erik

AU - Jørgensen, Niels

N1 - Copyright © 2016 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PY - 2016/1

Y1 - 2016/1

N2 - OBJECTIVE: To study the associations between self-reported psychological stress, semen quality, and serum reproductive hormones among young Danish men.DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.SETTING: University hospital-based research center.PARTICIPANT(S): Danish men (median age 19 years) from the general population were investigated from 2008 to 2012.INTERVENTION(S): Participants completed a questionnaire on health and lifestyle, including a four-item questionnaire about self-rated stress, had a physical examination performed, delivered a semen sample, and had a blood sample drawn.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Semen parameters (semen volume, sperm concentration, and percentages of motile and morphologically normal spermatozoa) and serum levels of reproductive hormones (LH, FSH, T, calculated free T, sex hormone-binding globulin, and inhibin B).RESULT(S): Poorer semen quality was detected among men with self-reported stress scores above an intermediate stress level, in a dose-response manner. For example, men with the highest stress levels had 38% (95% confidence interval [CI] 3%; 61%) lower sperm concentration, 34% (95% CI 59%; 106%) lower total sperm count, and 15% (95% CI 1%; 27%) lower semen volume than men with intermediate stress levels. No significant associations between self-reported stress and levels of reproductive hormones were detected.CONCLUSION(S): A negative association between self-reported stress and semen quality was detected. If causal, stress may be a contributing factor for suboptimal semen quality among otherwise healthy men.

AB - OBJECTIVE: To study the associations between self-reported psychological stress, semen quality, and serum reproductive hormones among young Danish men.DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.SETTING: University hospital-based research center.PARTICIPANT(S): Danish men (median age 19 years) from the general population were investigated from 2008 to 2012.INTERVENTION(S): Participants completed a questionnaire on health and lifestyle, including a four-item questionnaire about self-rated stress, had a physical examination performed, delivered a semen sample, and had a blood sample drawn.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Semen parameters (semen volume, sperm concentration, and percentages of motile and morphologically normal spermatozoa) and serum levels of reproductive hormones (LH, FSH, T, calculated free T, sex hormone-binding globulin, and inhibin B).RESULT(S): Poorer semen quality was detected among men with self-reported stress scores above an intermediate stress level, in a dose-response manner. For example, men with the highest stress levels had 38% (95% confidence interval [CI] 3%; 61%) lower sperm concentration, 34% (95% CI 59%; 106%) lower total sperm count, and 15% (95% CI 1%; 27%) lower semen volume than men with intermediate stress levels. No significant associations between self-reported stress and levels of reproductive hormones were detected.CONCLUSION(S): A negative association between self-reported stress and semen quality was detected. If causal, stress may be a contributing factor for suboptimal semen quality among otherwise healthy men.

U2 - 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.09.016

DO - 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.09.016

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 26477499

VL - 105

SP - 174-187.e2

JO - Sexuality, Reproduction and Menopause

JF - Sexuality, Reproduction and Menopause

SN - 1546-2501

IS - 1

ER -