ABSTRACT
Planning pregnancy is very important to ensure the most comfortable and optimal conditions for conception, gestation and the subsequent birth of a healthy child. This review examines the effects and mechanisms of the damaging effect of external factors, social habits and certain diseases on the ejaculate quality, as well as ways to overcome them aiming to optimum preparation of a man to conceive. Several studies have shown an inverse relationship between semen quality and common diseases. Unfavorable environmental conditions, varicocele, endocrine causes, such as diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome, are thought to be among the factors that could adversely affect the quality of sperm. Oxidative stress in the testicular microenvironment may lead to suppression of spermatogenesis and sperm DNA damage resulting in a decrease of their mobility and causing morphological abnormalities.
Subject(s)
Antioxidants/therapeutic use , Infertility, Male/etiology , Infertility, Male/prevention & control , Preconception Care/methods , Spermatozoa , Antioxidants/administration & dosage , Clinical Trials as Topic , DNA Damage , Environmental Pollutants/toxicity , Humans , Infertility, Male/genetics , Infertility, Male/metabolism , Male , Oxidative Stress/drug effects , Risk Factors , Spermatozoa/drug effects , Spermatozoa/metabolism , Spermatozoa/pathologyABSTRACT
Erectile dysfunction is closely linked to the general state of both physical and psychological wellness. Among the major risk factors are heart disease, arterial hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, as well as sedentary lifestyle, smoking and alcohol abuse. Also, the disease is more frequently found in men undergoing radiation therapy or surgery for prostate cancer. Psychological correlates include anxiety, depression and irritability. Despite a higher prevalence among older men, erectile dysfunction is not considered an inevitable part of aging. Due to polyetiology of the disease, sildenafil is regarded as the gold standard of treatment, and new high quality generic drugs are marketed. The article covers the use of sildenafil in patients with diseases of the cardiovascular system, diabetes, hypogonadism. Effectiveness of sildenafil in patients on chronic hemodialysis as well as in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy is discussed. The issue of addiction to sildenafil is outlined.
