(Former Director Grade Scientist, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India.)
www.daylife.page
Certain diseases are described as “lifestyle diseases’ Diabetes is one of those; this is a metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycemia (high quantity of glucose in the blood). Because of this there is a disturbances in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins which one takes as food, in other words there are serious problems in food metabolism. This is due to defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both.
Scientists have also found that an important complication of diabetes is the disturbance in the male reproductive system. The effects of diabetes include long-term damages, dysfunctions, and failures of various organs. It is all due to, as mentioned, glucose metabolism, which is an important event in spermatogenesis. Because of this motility and fertilization ability in mature sperm is reduced.
Towards the end of March, 2022, Scientists from Denmark have revealed that men with diabetes who are treated with metformin have an increased risk of having children with birth defects compared with non-diabetic men, or men treated with insulin. Out of total 1,116,779 births, 3.3% of which had at least one major birth defect. Further, offspring of fathers who took metformin during the time the fertilizing sperm were developing (1451 births) had a 40% increase in relative risk for birth defects compared with insulin exposed offspring.
The take home message is that men who are trying to have children should be careful not to develop diabetes by following healthy lifestyle. This can be easily done by following your biological clock. Eat healthy diet (not junk food, carbonated drinks ) nice sleep for 7to8 hrs, regular exercise, avoid light exposer specially blue light from 10 pm to 4 am. If you start following these, you not only save yourself from life style diseases, but your generations to come. (The author has his own study and views)
