Whether the elderly male fertility increases the risk of genetic diseases

• Make an appointment
• Consulting price
• Online consultation

Does the elder male fertility increase the risk of genetic diseases?

With the development of society, it has become a trend for men to give birth at an advanced age. However, at the same time, it also caused people's concern about the risk of genetic diseases. This article will elaborate from four aspects whether the elderly male fertility increases the risk of genetic diseases.

Germ cell aging leads to increased risk of gene mutation

The quality of male germ cells is closely related to male age. With the growth of age, the quality of male germ cells will gradually decrease, leading to an increased risk of gene mutation. Research shows that children born to fathers over 40 are more than twice as likely to suffer from certain genetic diseases as fathers over 20. This is because the continuous division and self repair ability of male germ cells are weakened, which increases the accumulation of gene mutations. This phenomenon is destined to increase the risk of genetic diseases in men's elderly childbearing.

The clinical data of a certain hospital shows that in the past ten years, they have found that many children whose father is over 40 years old suffer from Down's syndrome, autism, congenital heart disease and other genetic diseases. These data further confirmed the correlation between the elderly male fertility and the risk of genetic diseases.

Increased chromosomal abnormalities

The elderly male fertility will also lead to the increase of chromosomal abnormalities. Chromosome abnormalities refer to genetic diseases caused by abnormal number or structure of chromosomes. Research shows that when the father is over 40 years old, children have a significantly increased risk of chromosomal abnormalities. Among them, the most common chromosomal abnormality is Down syndrome, and its correlation with father's age has been confirmed by many studies.

A research team from a famous hospital in Beijing has carried out a study on the elderly male fertility and chromosome abnormalities. They investigated 500 families and found that the probability of chromosomal abnormalities of children whose fathers were over 40 years old was significantly higher than that of those whose fathers were under 20 years old. This study further demonstrates the correlation between the risk of chromosomal abnormalities and the elderly male fertility.

Increased prevalence of genetic diseases

In addition to the increase of gene mutations and chromosomal abnormalities, the elderly male fertility may also lead to an increase in the prevalence of genetic diseases. With the increase of age, the DNA repair mechanism in men weakens, which changes the expression level of genes related to genetic diseases, thus increasing the risk of disease.

A study by the National Institutes of Health found that children whose fathers are over 35 years old are far more likely to suffer from Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) than those whose fathers are under 20 years old. The results of this study show that there is a clear correlation between the elderly male fertility and the increase in the prevalence of genetic diseases.

summary

The aging of male reproductive system increases the risk of genetic diseases, mainly due to the increased risk of gene mutation, chromosome abnormalities and the increased prevalence of genetic diseases. Therefore, in terms of family planning and reproductive health, men should pay attention to their age as early as possible and consider carrying out relevant gene testing and genetic counseling when necessary to reduce the risk of genetic diseases.