Estimates suggest that male factor infertility occurs in around 6% of males aged between 15 and 50 years; of these, up to 15% of cases have an unknown cause.
What is Idiopathic Oligoasthenozoospermia?
Idiopathic oligoasthenozoospermia is when a man has a low sperm count and poor motility and the medical cause is not known. Idiopathic or unexplained infertility is surprisingly common. Doctors can be reluctant to treat it with drugs and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is usually offered to couples seeking help for the condition.
Integrated Therapy
Now, doctors at Cairo University Hospitals in Egypt are trying a treatment that integrates conventional medicine with alternative therapy. They are using the drug clomiphene citrate (Clomid) in combination with vitamin E to treat men with oligoasthenozoospermia.
60 men took part in the study and they were split into two groups with one group receiving the drug and vitamin treatment and the other group receiving a placebo for a period of six months.
The group of men who had the combination treatment achieved a higher success rate in getting their partners pregnant. The treatment group had a 36.7% pregnancy rate (11 out of 30 men) compared with a 13.3% rate (4 out of 30 men) in the placebo group.
What is Clomid and Why Would it Help?
Clomid is a drug which is used to induce ovulation in women who don't ovulate or who have irregular menstrual periods. It is also used by bodybuilders as it inhibits the hormone estrogen. It is known to increase the amount of seminal fluid produced on ejaculation. Due to this and the fact that it suppresses female hormone, it is thought to help men with low sperm counts and poor motility.
How Does Vitamin E Help?
Vitamin E is an antioxidant; that is, it protects red blood cells and stops the formation of free radicals. It helps prevent destruction of vitamin C which keeps the immune system healthy. In addition, it maintains healthy heart function and the normal function of the sexual organs, so if you don't have enough, you can suffer infertility problems.
Unfortunately it is not possible to tell if someone is lacking in vitamin E because it produces no other symptoms, but by eating a varied diet, you can help prevent this.
Vitamin E is contained in the following foods:
- Nuts and seeds
- Beans
- Eggs
- Flour
- Avocado
- Leafy green vegetables
- Whole grain cereals
Vitamin E is also available as a supplement and can be used as a treatment for influenza as it assists with the production of more antibodies. It can be used to assist in recovery from heart disease and now fertility specialists are just beginning to realise its wonderful benefits for infertile couples.
Source:
Beyond the Abstract - Combination clomiphene citrate and antioxidant therapy for idiopathic male infertility: A randomized controlled trial, by Hussein Ghanem, MD, et al - www.urotoday.com
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