Aromatase inhibitors safe and effective for treating male infertility, says study

China: Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) may be effective for the treatment of male infertility, according to a recent study in the journal Andrology. AIs discontinuation for 2-7 days before sperm retrieval may increase the success rate of fertilization for infertile male patients planning assisted reproduction. 

For decades, aromatase inhibitors has been utilized for treating male fertility. Still, the safety and efficacy of AIs in the treatment of male infertility remain controversial due to the lack of large-scale randomized controlled studies and basic research. Therefore, there is a need to conduct an evidence-based preliminary evaluation of the existing clinical trials of AIs in the treatment of male infertility.

Considering the above, Jian-guo Liu, Department of Andrology, Shaanxi Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China, and colleagues conducted a systematic review with a meta-analysis of all available studies reporting sperm conventional parameters, gonadotropin and testosterone levels, and/or the pregnancy rate. They performed a comprehensive literature search in the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, CNKI, VIP, CBM, and Wanfang databases through August 2021 for all studies. A total of 10 studies involving 666 patients were included.