According to the WHO, over 150 million people worldwide now have diabetes. The surge is in Type II diabetes, which afflicts adults over 30. Diabetes is one of three major new diseases that hardly existed 100 years ago: diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

In the May 3rd issue of Human Reproduction, Queen’s University researcher’s show a link between diabetes and low sperm quality. There was no significant difference in sperm concentration, appearance, or mobility. There was a small reduction in sperm volume. But the most significant affect was a higher DNA fragmentation, 53% versus 32% in non-diabetics. DNA fragmentation could affect the ability to fertilize an egg and even lead to abnormalities in an offspring.

Sperm DNA does not have the ability to repair itself unlike other DNA in the body. The damage is permanent.

The authors of the study admit more work is to be done, including analyzing birth defects in children with diabetic fathers.

Healthy sperm look like points of light. The DNA fragmented sperm have tails on the end.

Read the full article here.

Credit: Phil Berardelli, ScienceNow Daily News
Photo Credit: Sheena Lewis, co-author of the paper