Parental age at birth and biomarkers of fecundity in young Danish men

Andreas Ernst*, Nis Brix, Anne Gaml-Sørensen, Linn Håkonsen Arendt, Gunnar Toft, Sandra Søgaard Tøttenborg, Karin Søring Hougaard, Jens Peter Ellekilde Bonde, Cecilia Høst Ramlau-Hansen

*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelForskningpeer review

Abstract

Background
High parental age is associated with adverse birth and genetic outcomes, but little is known about fecundity in male offspring.

Objectives
We investigated if high parental age at birth was associated with biomarkers of male fecundity in a large population-based sample of young men.

Materials and methods
We conducted a study of 1057 men from the Fetal Programming of Semen Quality (FEPOS) cohort, a sub-cohort of sons born 1998–2000 into the Danish National Birth Cohort. Semen characteristics and reproductive hormone concentrations were measured in samples provided by the men 2017–2019. Testis volume was determined by self-measurement. Data on the parental age was drawn from registers. Adjusted relative difference in percentage with 95% confidence intervals were estimated for each outcome according to pre-specified maternal and paternal age groups (< 30 (reference), 30–34 and ≥ 35) as well as for combinations of parental age groups, using multivariable negative binomial regression models.

Results
We did not observe consistent associations between parental age and biomarkers of fecundity, although sons of mothers ≥ 35 years had lower sperm concentration (−15% (95% CI: −30, 3)) and total sperm count (−10% (95% CI: −25, 9)). The analysis with parental age combinations showed lower sperm concentration with high age of the parents (both ≥ 35 years: −27%, 95% CI: −40, −19) when compared to the reference where both parents were below 30 years.

Discussion and conclusion
We found no strong association between higher parental age and biomarkers of fecundity in young men. However, we cannot exclude poorer semen characteristics in sons born by older mothers or with high age of both parents.
OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftAndrology
Antal sider12
ISSN2047-2919
DOI
StatusAccepteret/In press - 2024

Bibliografisk note

Funding Information:
The DNBC was established with a significant grant from the Danish National Research Foundation. Additional support was obtained from the Danish Regional Committees, the Pharmacy Foundation, the Egmont Foundation, the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation, the Health Foundation, and other minor grants. The DNBC Biobank has been supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Lundbeck Foundation. Follow‐up of mothers and children have been supported by the Danish Medical Research Council (SSVF 0646, 271‐08‐0839/06‐066023, O602‐01042B, 0602‐02738B), the Lundbeck Foundation (195/04, R100‐A9193), The Innovation Fund Denmark 0603‐00294B (09‐067124), the Nordea Foundation (02‐2013‐2014), Aarhus Ideas (AU R9‐A959‐13‐S804), University of Copenhagen Strategic Grant (IFSV 2012), and the Danish Council for Independent Research (DFF – 4183‐00594 and DFF – 4183‐00152).

Funding Information:
the ReproUnion collaborative study, co‐financed by the European Union, Intereg V ÖKS (20200407); the Lundbeck Foundation (R170‐2014‐855); the Capital Region of Denmark, Region Skåne, and The Medical Faculty at Lund University, Sweden, Medical doctor Sofus Carl Emil Friis and spouse Olga Doris Friis's Grant, Axel Muusfeldt's Foundation (2016‐491); AP Møller Foundation (16‐37), the Health Foundation and Dagmar Marshall's Fond; Aarhus University Forskningsfond and Independent Research Fund Denmark (9039‐00128B); the European Union (ERC, BIOSFER, 101071773)

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors. Andrology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society of Andrology and European Academy of Andrology.

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