Antidepressants cause DNA damage in sperm
New research suggests that a widely used antidepressant causes DNA damage in sperm that may impair fertility.
Peter Schlegel, of the Cornell Medical Center in New York City, and colleagues gave 35 healthy men the antidepressant paroxetine (sold as Seroxat or Paxil) for five weeks. The men provided sperm samples before and during paroxetine treatment.
On first examination, the men's sperm seemed healthy – the number of sperm present in each sample, their shape, and their motility, were all normal. However, when the researchers looked at DNA fragmentation in the sperm they found that the number of sperm exhibiting DNA damage in each sample more than doubled from 13.8% before treatment to 30.3% during treatment with the drug.
The researchers are, at present, uncertain as to whether or not this would cause fertility problems, however similar levels of sperm DNA damage have been reported to cause problems with embryo viability.
Antidepressants may harm male fertility. New Scientist. 2008; 24th September: 11.
Health Headlines
upcoming Events
U.S. Events
congresses
fellowships
-
Aesthetic Medicine Module I
Las Vegas, NV | Dec. 9-10, 2009 -
Anti-Aging & Regenerative Medicine Modules I, II, III & IX
Las Vegas, NV | Dec. 10-12, 2009 -
Preventative Medicine, Nutrition & Sports Medicine Module I
Las Vegas, NV | Dec. 9-11, 2009 -
Fellowship in Preventative Medicine, Nutrition & Sports Medicine Module III
Las Vegas, NV | Dec. 11-12, 2009
symposium
-
Advanced Hormone Symposium
Chicago, IL | Oct. 8-10, 2010
VIDEO: Brain Age Workshop
Dr. Eric Braverman, Director of The Place for Achieving Total Health
(PATH Medical), Chairs the
Brain Age Workshop taking place Dec. 9, 2009.
Held in conjunction with the Winter Session of the 17th Annual World
Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine & Regenerative Biomedical Technologies.
The Brain Age Workshop features presentations on Brain Mind Assessment
via Neuropsychological Analysis, Movement Deficiency Syndrome,
Hormones and the Brain, Nootropic Drug Mechanisms, and Traumatic Brain
Injury. View this video to learn about Dr. Braverman’s brain-based
model of aging and age modulation.
International Events
- Mexico City | Jan. 15-17, 2010
- Milan | Mar. 18-20, 2010
- Kuala Lumpur | Apr. 29 - May 2, 2010
- Jakarta | May 2010 (pending)
- Bucharest | May 2010 (pending)
- Seoul | May 2010 (pending)
- Melbourne | Aug. 21-22, 2010
- Dubai | Oct. 26-27, 2010
- Bali | October 2010 (pending)
- Mainz-Frankfurt | Nov. 8-10, 2010
- Sao Paulo | Nov. 12-14, 2010
- Shanghai | November 2010 (pending)





