Paternal Diabetes Has No Significant Impact on Pregnancy Success Rates, Study Reveals

The cohort study analyzing 101,875 embryo transfers found that paternal diabetes mellitus does not markedly reduce the likelihood of achieving a successful pregnancy outcome.

"For paternal type 1 diabetes (T1D), the adjusted odds ratios for biochemical pregnancy, clinical pregnancy & live birth were 0.97, 1.08, and 0.75, respectively. For type 2 diabetes (T2D), the odds ratios were 0.80, 0.67, and 1.03, and for mixed-type diabetes, 0.95, 1.31, and 1.19," the researchers reported in Andrology Journal.

Approximately 15% of all pregnancies result in pregnancy loss. While most research has concentrated on maternal factors, there is limited understanding of how paternal factors impact the likelihood of a successful pregnancy. To fill this knowledge gap, Anne-Sofie Sønnichsen-Dreehsen, Center for Clinical Epidemiology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark, and colleagues aim to evaluate the chance of clinical pregnancy, biochemical pregnancy, and live-born children in couples where the male partner has diabetes mellitus (DM).

For this purpose, the researchers performed a nationwide cohort study. It included couples undergoing assisted reproductive technology treatment from 2006 to 2019. he exposed cohorts comprised embryo transfers in couples with paternal T1DM, T2DM, or mixed type DM (TMDM).

The exposed cohorts comprised embryo transfers in couples with paternal type 1 DM (T1DM), type 2 DM (T2DM), or mixed type DM (TMDM). The unexposed cohort included embryo transfers in couples without paternal DM.

The following were the key findings of the study:

• A total of 101,875 embryo transfers were included. Of these, 503 males had T1DM, 225 males had T2DM, 263 males had TMDM, and 100,884 did not have DM.
• For paternal T1DM, the adjusted OR for achieving a biochemical pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, and live-born child were 0.97, 1.08, and 0.75, respectively.
• For paternal T2DM, the adjusted OR for achieving a biochemical pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, and live-born child were 0.80, 0.67, and 1.03, respectively.
• For the paternal TMDM, the adjusted OR for achieving a biochemical pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, and livebirth were 0.95, 1.31, and 1.19, respectively.

The study found that paternal diabetes mellitus did not reduce the likelihood of achieving pregnancy or having a live-born child compared to couples without paternal diabetes.

"While these results are reassuring, further research is needed to confirm these findings. Future studies should include data on male lifestyle factors, such as smoking and alcohol use, as well as clinical parameters like the severity and management of diabetes, before drawing definitive conclusions," the researchers concluded.

Reference:

Sønnichsen-Dreehsen, S., Fedder, J., Wod, M., Thorarinsson, C. T., & Nørgård, B. M. The association between paternal diabetes mellitus and successful pregnancy—Examined in a nationwide population undergoing reproductive treatment. Andrology. https://doi.org/10.1111/andr.13702