Improvement seen in DNA fragmentation index and pregnancy rates for subfertile men receiving nutritional management program

TUESDAY, Feb. 6, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Micronutrient supplementation results in improvement in the DNA fragmentation index (DFI) among subfertile men and results in an improved pregnancy rate, according to a meta-analysis published online June 29, 2021, in Gynecological Endocrinology.

Markus Lipovac, M.D., from the IMI Fertility Center in Vienna, and colleagues conducted a retrospective, comparative study involving 339 subfertile men who underwent a sperm chromatin dispersion test (SCD) to detect DNA fragmentation (measured as DFI), as well as an initial semen analysis. One group of participants (162 patients) received a nutritional management program for three months, which included a standardized combined micronutrient formulation together with guidance for diet modification and lifestyle changes. The standardized formulation was composed of L-carnitine, L-arginine, coenzyme Q10, zinc, vitamin E, folic acid, glutathione, and selenium. A second control group (177 patients) did not receive active treatment and were instructed to engage in a healthy lifestyle.

In an analysis of 81 men with DFI >15 percent (46 intervention and 35 control patients), the researchers found that both groups had a significant decrease in mean DFI values after three months, with a higher mean percent difference in the study group (10.46 ± 1.20 versus 5.29 ± 0.57 percent). When the entire population was considered, only the intervention group had a significant decrease in mean DFI initial values (10.48 ± 7.76 versus 6.51 ± 4.61 percent); the percentage difference was higher in the intervention group (3.97 ± 0.28 versus 0.91 ± 0.28 percent). The pregnancy rate was higher in the intervention group at six-month follow-up (27.78 versus 15.25 percent).

"When considering any baseline DFI value, the active group displayed a better result when compared to controls," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)