Research

Hormonal

Advanced paternal age is associated with decreased sperm parameters (except concentration), increased DNA fragmentation, and higher risk of genetic disorders in offspring.

As men age, sperm quality declines, DNA fragmentation increases, and the risk of genetic disorders in children rises. Couples with advanced paternal age should be counseled cautiously regarding ART success rates and potential genetic risks.

GoodRefutesHIGH confidence
A negative association between increasing paternal age and testicular volume was noted by several studies... In a study it was found that compared to the age group 18–40 years, men aged > 75 years had 31% smaller mean testicular volume
Alessandro Ilacqua et al. · Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology · 2018

Why this rating

The paper cites multiple studies and a meta-analysis confirming the trend, though it notes guidelines do not yet support routine DNA integrity assessment.

Source

Lifestyle and fertility: the influence of stress and quality of life on male fertility

Alessandro Ilacqua et al. · Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology · 2018

DOI 10.1186/s12958-018-0436-9

narrative_reviewCited 308×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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