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A large study of nearly 80,000 men has found that sperm quality is linked to how long men live.
The research, published in Human Reproduction, shows that men with higher numbers of motile (moving) sperm live on average two to three years longer than those with poor sperm quality.
Key Findings
Men with a total motile sperm count of more than 120 million lived 2.7 years longer than those with a count between 0 and 5 million.
The lower the sperm quality, the shorter the life expectancy.
The link between sperm quality and lifespan was not explained by pre-existing health conditions or socioeconomic status.
This is the largest study to examine the connection between semen quality and mortality, and the results suggest that fertility could be an indicator of overall health.
Researchers from Copenhagen University Hospital—Rigshospitalet in Denmark, led by Dr. Lærke Priskorn and Dr. Niels Jørgensen, analyzed data from 78,284 men who had their sperm tested between 1965 and 2015 due to infertility concerns.
The team tracked these men for up to 50 years using Danish national health records to determine how many had died. Of the study group, 8,600 men (11%) had died by the time of analysis.
For a subgroup of 59,657 men, researchers also had data on education levels and medical history in the 10 years before sperm analysis, which allowed them to adjust the results for factors like socioeconomic status and pre-existing health conditions.
Dr. Priskorn explains:
“We calculated the men’s life expectancy based on semen quality and found that men with the best quality sperm lived significantly longer than those with the lowest quality.”
Why Does Sperm Quality Predict Lifespan?
The study does not prove that low sperm count directly causes shorter life expectancy, but rather that poor semen quality may be a marker of underlying health problems.
Dr. Jørgensen suggests:
“We can identify subgroups of men with poor sperm quality who appear healthy but may be at higher risk of developing diseases later in life.”
This means that fertility evaluations—often done when men are still young—could serve as an early health screening tool. Doctors could monitor men with low sperm quality for potential health risks, such as heart disease, metabolic disorders, or immune system problems.
What Might Be Driving This Link?
Experts believe that oxidative stress—an imbalance between harmful free radicals and protective antioxidants in the body—could play a role.
In an accompanying commentary, Professor John Aitken from The University of Newcastle, Australia, describes the study as a “landmark publication.” He suggests that oxidative stress damages both sperm and overall health, contributing to aging and disease.
He writes:
“Any factor—genetic, environmental, or lifestyle-related—that increases oxidative stress could influence both semen quality and lifespan.”
This could explain why women, who generally have higher antioxidant levels and longer telomeres (the protective ends of DNA), tend to live longer than men.
What Does This Mean for Men’s Health?
This study suggests that monitoring sperm quality could help detect broader health issues early on. Future research will focus on:
Investigating causes of early death in men with poor sperm quality (e.g., heart disease, cancer).
Finding biomarkers to predict long-term health risks based on semen analysis.
Exploring whether lifestyle changes that improve sperm quality—such as reducing oxidative stress—also extend lifespan.
While more research is needed, these findings highlight that semen quality is not just about fertility—it may also be a powerful indicator of overall health and longevity.
If you care about wellness, please read studies about how ultra-processed foods and red meat influence your longevity, and why seafood may boost healthy aging.
For more health information, please see recent studies that olive oil may help you live longer, and vitamin D could help lower the risk of autoimmune diseases.
The research findings can be found in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
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