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Iron and a Man’s Reproductive Health: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

  • Andrology and Infertility (L Lipshultz, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Urology Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

To discuss the physiologic and pathologic effects of iron on men’s reproductive health.

Recent Findings

Iron overload diseases are associated with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, infertility, and sexual dysfunction in men. Recent findings have elucidated the roles by which iron may affect the male reproductive axis.

Summary

Iron is requisite for life. Iron can also catalyze the production of reactive oxygen species. To maintain balance, the human body tightly regulates dietary iron absorption. Severe iron overload disorders—e.g., hereditary hemochromatosis and β-thalassemia—occur when these regulatory mechanisms are deficient. While iron is necessary, the male reproductive system is particularly sensitive to iron overload. Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, infertility, and sexual dysfunction commonly occur if excess iron from iron overload disorders is not removed. The average male in the USA consumes significantly more iron than needed to replace daily losses. How this degree of iron loading may affect one’s reproductive health remains less clear, but there is evidence it may have adverse effects.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Reproductive Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, 6624 Fannin St, Suite 1700, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    J. Scott Gabrielsen & Larry I. Lipshultz

  2. Scott Department of Urology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA

    J. Scott Gabrielsen & Larry I. Lipshultz

  3. Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA

    Dolores J. Lamb

  4. Departments of Urology and Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical Center, 525 East 68th Street 9th Floor, Rm 902, New York, NY, 10065-4870, USA

    Dolores J. Lamb

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  1. J. Scott Gabrielsen
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Correspondence to J. Scott Gabrielsen.

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Conflict of Interest

J. Scott Gabrielsen is supported in part by NIH K12 DK0083014 Multidisciplinary K12 Urologic Research Career Development Program (to DJL).

Dolores J. Lamb and Larry I. Lipshultz each declare no potential conflicts of interest.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Andrology and Infertility

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Gabrielsen, J., Lamb, D.J. & Lipshultz, L.I. Iron and a Man’s Reproductive Health: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Curr Urol Rep 19, 60 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11934-018-0808-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11934-018-0808-x

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