Inflammatory arthritis not linked to male infertility

Men with inflammatory joint diseases, such as arthritis, are less likely to be childless and tend to have more children compared to their healthy counterparts.

A large-scale observational investigation was conducted by researchers at Stavanger University Hospital in Norway using data on 10,865 male patients with inflammatory joint diseases from the Norwegian Arthritis Registry. Data analysed included the average number of children per man and the percentage of childless men while considering age and year of diagnosis. Each patient was individually matched with five men without inflammatory joint disease, totalling 54,325 individuals. The study revealed that men with inflammatory joint diseases have, on average, 1.8 children, compared to 1.69 in the control group.

Dr Gudrun Sigmo, corresponding author of the study, published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, noted in the paper that 'Treatment for [inflammatory joint diseases] has vastly improved in recent decades owing to the introduction of potent immune-modulating drugs, new treatment strategies such as the "treat to target" and new diagnostic tools'.

Moreover, the study showed that 21 percent of patients with inflammatory joint diseases were childless, compared to 27 percent of the control group. These differences remained consistent across various ages at diagnosis, except for those diagnosed between the ages of 0 and 19, where the patterns differed.

A separate sub-analysis was also conducted according to what year the patient was diagnosed. The higher average number of children and fewer childless men were seen across all eras. Significantly, the gap in childlessness was more pronounced for men diagnosed after the year 2000, especially those diagnosed between the ages of 30 and 39. In this subgroup, only 22 percent of patients were childless, compared to 32 percent in the control group.

While the study is observational, preventing firm conclusions about causation, the researchers state that 'Male patients with [inflammatory joint diseases] may be reassured that no impairment of fertility is expected'.

It is worth noting thatthe impact of inflammatory joint diseases on fertility is unclear. An unrelated observational study conducted in the Netherlands in 2021 suggests that men with inflammatory arthritis are more likely to be unable to have children (see BioNews 1108).

The findings of these studies open new avenues for exploring the intricate associations between fertility and inflammatory joint diseases themselves.