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CHICAGO – One quarter of men with low sperm counts met criteria for metabolic syndrome in a large prospective cohort study of couples with infertility. Low testosterone levels alone didn’t account for the finding, said Alberto Ferlin, MD, PhD, professor of reproductive endocrinology at the University of Brescia, Italy.

“So at the end, we showed that, independent of testosterone, low sperm count could be a marker of general male health, in particular for cardiovascular risk factors or metabolic derangement,” said Dr. Ferlin in an interview following a press conference at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society.

The Italian study, which Dr. Ferlin said was the largest of its kind to date, studied 5,177 males who were part of an infertile couple, comparing men with low sperm count (less than 39 million sperm per ejaculate) with those with normal sperm count (at least 39 million sperm per ejaculate). In all, 2,583 of the participants had low sperm counts.

“Our main aim was to understand if semen analysis and, in general, the reproductive function of a man, could be a marker of his general cardiovascular and metabolic health,” said Dr. Ferlin.

Only men with a comprehensive work-up were included, so all participants had a medical history and physical exam, and semen analysis and culture. Additional components of the evaluation included blood lipid and glucose metabolism testing, reproductive hormone levels, ultrasound of the testes and, for men diagnosed with hypogonadism, bone densitometry.

The study, said Dr. Ferlin, found that among men with a low total sperm count, there was a high prevalence of hypogonadism, defined as both low testosterone and elevated levels of luteinizing hormone. Additionally, these men had a high prevalence of elevated luteinizing hormones with normal testosterone – “so-called subclinical hypogonadism,” said Dr. Ferlin.

In men with a low sperm count – defined as fewer than 39 million sperm per ejaculate – the prevalence of biochemical hypogonadism was about 45%, compared with just 6% in men with normal sperm counts, said Dr. Ferlin. Men with infertility had an odds ratio for hypogonadism of 12.2, said Dr. Ferlin (95% confidence interval, 10.2-14.6).

[email protected]

CHICAGO – One quarter of men with low sperm counts met criteria for metabolic syndrome in a large prospective cohort study of couples with infertility. Low testosterone levels alone didn’t account for the finding, said Alberto Ferlin, MD, PhD, professor of reproductive endocrinology at the University of Brescia, Italy.

“So at the end, we showed that, independent of testosterone, low sperm count could be a marker of general male health, in particular for cardiovascular risk factors or metabolic derangement,” said Dr. Ferlin in an interview following a press conference at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society.

The Italian study, which Dr. Ferlin said was the largest of its kind to date, studied 5,177 males who were part of an infertile couple, comparing men with low sperm count (less than 39 million sperm per ejaculate) with those with normal sperm count (at least 39 million sperm per ejaculate). In all, 2,583 of the participants had low sperm counts.

“Our main aim was to understand if semen analysis and, in general, the reproductive function of a man, could be a marker of his general cardiovascular and metabolic health,” said Dr. Ferlin.

Only men with a comprehensive work-up were included, so all participants had a medical history and physical exam, and semen analysis and culture. Additional components of the evaluation included blood lipid and glucose metabolism testing, reproductive hormone levels, ultrasound of the testes and, for men diagnosed with hypogonadism, bone densitometry.

The study, said Dr. Ferlin, found that among men with a low total sperm count, there was a high prevalence of hypogonadism, defined as both low testosterone and elevated levels of luteinizing hormone. Additionally, these men had a high prevalence of elevated luteinizing hormones with normal testosterone – “so-called subclinical hypogonadism,” said Dr. Ferlin.

In men with a low sperm count – defined as fewer than 39 million sperm per ejaculate – the prevalence of biochemical hypogonadism was about 45%, compared with just 6% in men with normal sperm counts, said Dr. Ferlin. Men with infertility had an odds ratio for hypogonadism of 12.2, said Dr. Ferlin (95% confidence interval, 10.2-14.6).

[email protected]

CHICAGO – One quarter of men with low sperm counts met criteria for metabolic syndrome in a large prospective cohort study of couples with infertility. Low testosterone levels alone didn’t account for the finding, said Alberto Ferlin, MD, PhD, professor of reproductive endocrinology at the University of Brescia, Italy.

“So at the end, we showed that, independent of testosterone, low sperm count could be a marker of general male health, in particular for cardiovascular risk factors or metabolic derangement,” said Dr. Ferlin in an interview following a press conference at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society.

The Italian study, which Dr. Ferlin said was the largest of its kind to date, studied 5,177 males who were part of an infertile couple, comparing men with low sperm count (less than 39 million sperm per ejaculate) with those with normal sperm count (at least 39 million sperm per ejaculate). In all, 2,583 of the participants had low sperm counts.

“Our main aim was to understand if semen analysis and, in general, the reproductive function of a man, could be a marker of his general cardiovascular and metabolic health,” said Dr. Ferlin.

Only men with a comprehensive work-up were included, so all participants had a medical history and physical exam, and semen analysis and culture. Additional components of the evaluation included blood lipid and glucose metabolism testing, reproductive hormone levels, ultrasound of the testes and, for men diagnosed with hypogonadism, bone densitometry.

The study, said Dr. Ferlin, found that among men with a low total sperm count, there was a high prevalence of hypogonadism, defined as both low testosterone and elevated levels of luteinizing hormone. Additionally, these men had a high prevalence of elevated luteinizing hormones with normal testosterone – “so-called subclinical hypogonadism,” said Dr. Ferlin.

In men with a low sperm count – defined as fewer than 39 million sperm per ejaculate – the prevalence of biochemical hypogonadism was about 45%, compared with just 6% in men with normal sperm counts, said Dr. Ferlin. Men with infertility had an odds ratio for hypogonadism of 12.2, said Dr. Ferlin (95% confidence interval, 10.2-14.6).

[email protected]

CHICAGO – Of medical and surgical tactics to tackle long-term weight loss, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery has shown the most rapid and dramatic effect on glucose metabolism, and gene expression in the Roux limb may hold the key to the surgery’s efficacy, according to an ongoing study.

“We know that Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery is highly effective as not only a weight-loss therapy, but more and more we’re appreciating its role as a diabetes therapy as well,” said Margaret Stefater, MD, PhD, speaking in an interview at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society.

The study, she said, was designed to learn more about the intestine’s contribution to the salubrious effect that Roux-en-Y surgery has on diabetes.

“We used microarray in order to characterize gene expression in the intestine” to gain a broad understanding of the processes that are altered after surgery, said Dr. Stefater, a pediatric endocrinology fellow at Boston Children’s Hospital. More specifically, though, the study looked at an individual’s changes in gene expression over time and correlated those changes with that patient’s clinical picture.

The data reported by Dr. Stefater and shared in a press conference, represent part of an ongoing longitudinal prospective study of 32 patients.

“The study aims to characterize gene expression for the first postoperative year,” and findings from the first 6 postoperative months of 19 patients were shared at the meeting, said Dr. Stefater. “This is the first look at our cohort.”

So far, she and her colleagues have compared gene expression using microarray at 1 month and 6 months post-surgery, comparing change across time and change from baseline data.

From hundreds of candidate genes, Dr. Stefater and her colleagues have developed a smaller gene list that, even in the first postoperative month, is predictive of changes in hemoglobin A_1c levels over time. “Remarkably, the changes in a select list of genes out to 1 month is actually able to predict hemoglobin A_1c levels out to 1 year,” she said. “This speaks to the fact that biological reprogramming in the intestine is somehow related to glycemic response in patients.

“We hope that by understanding these processes, we can home in on those processes that are most likely to be mechanistically responsible for these changes, and then to reverse-engineer this surgery to identify processes or targets which may be good places to start when we think about creating better, or nonsurgical, therapies for people who have obesity and diabetes,” said Dr. Stefater.

Dr. Stefater reported no relevant financial disclosures.

[email protected]

SOURCE: Stefater MA et al. ENDO 2018, Abstract OR 12-6.

CHICAGO – Of medical and surgical tactics to tackle long-term weight loss, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery has shown the most rapid and dramatic effect on glucose metabolism, and gene expression in the Roux limb may hold the key to the surgery’s efficacy, according to an ongoing study.

“We know that Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery is highly effective as not only a weight-loss therapy, but more and more we’re appreciating its role as a diabetes therapy as well,” said Margaret Stefater, MD, PhD, speaking in an interview at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society.

The study, she said, was designed to learn more about the intestine’s contribution to the salubrious effect that Roux-en-Y surgery has on diabetes.

“We used microarray in order to characterize gene expression in the intestine” to gain a broad understanding of the processes that are altered after surgery, said Dr. Stefater, a pediatric endocrinology fellow at Boston Children’s Hospital. More specifically, though, the study looked at an individual’s changes in gene expression over time and correlated those changes with that patient’s clinical picture.

The data reported by Dr. Stefater and shared in a press conference, represent part of an ongoing longitudinal prospective study of 32 patients.

“The study aims to characterize gene expression for the first postoperative year,” and findings from the first 6 postoperative months of 19 patients were shared at the meeting, said Dr. Stefater. “This is the first look at our cohort.”

So far, she and her colleagues have compared gene expression using microarray at 1 month and 6 months post-surgery, comparing change across time and change from baseline data.

From hundreds of candidate genes, Dr. Stefater and her colleagues have developed a smaller gene list that, even in the first postoperative month, is predictive of changes in hemoglobin A_1c levels over time. “Remarkably, the changes in a select list of genes out to 1 month is actually able to predict hemoglobin A_1c levels out to 1 year,” she said. “This speaks to the fact that biological reprogramming in the intestine is somehow related to glycemic response in patients.

“We hope that by understanding these processes, we can home in on those processes that are most likely to be mechanistically responsible for these changes, and then to reverse-engineer this surgery to identify processes or targets which may be good places to start when we think about creating better, or nonsurgical, therapies for people who have obesity and diabetes,” said Dr. Stefater.

Dr. Stefater reported no relevant financial disclosures.

[email protected]

SOURCE: Stefater MA et al. ENDO 2018, Abstract OR 12-6.

CHICAGO – Of medical and surgical tactics to tackle long-term weight loss, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery has shown the most rapid and dramatic effect on glucose metabolism, and gene expression in the Roux limb may hold the key to the surgery’s efficacy, according to an ongoing study.

“We know that Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery is highly effective as not only a weight-loss therapy, but more and more we’re appreciating its role as a diabetes therapy as well,” said Margaret Stefater, MD, PhD, speaking in an interview at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society.

The study, she said, was designed to learn more about the intestine’s contribution to the salubrious effect that Roux-en-Y surgery has on diabetes.

“We used microarray in order to characterize gene expression in the intestine” to gain a broad understanding of the processes that are altered after surgery, said Dr. Stefater, a pediatric endocrinology fellow at Boston Children’s Hospital. More specifically, though, the study looked at an individual’s changes in gene expression over time and correlated those changes with that patient’s clinical picture.

The data reported by Dr. Stefater and shared in a press conference, represent part of an ongoing longitudinal prospective study of 32 patients.

“The study aims to characterize gene expression for the first postoperative year,” and findings from the first 6 postoperative months of 19 patients were shared at the meeting, said Dr. Stefater. “This is the first look at our cohort.”

So far, she and her colleagues have compared gene expression using microarray at 1 month and 6 months post-surgery, comparing change across time and change from baseline data.

From hundreds of candidate genes, Dr. Stefater and her colleagues have developed a smaller gene list that, even in the first postoperative month, is predictive of changes in hemoglobin A_1c levels over time. “Remarkably, the changes in a select list of genes out to 1 month is actually able to predict hemoglobin A_1c levels out to 1 year,” she said. “This speaks to the fact that biological reprogramming in the intestine is somehow related to glycemic response in patients.

“We hope that by understanding these processes, we can home in on those processes that are most likely to be mechanistically responsible for these changes, and then to reverse-engineer this surgery to identify processes or targets which may be good places to start when we think about creating better, or nonsurgical, therapies for people who have obesity and diabetes,” said Dr. Stefater.

Dr. Stefater reported no relevant financial disclosures.

[email protected]

SOURCE: Stefater MA et al. ENDO 2018, Abstract OR 12-6.

BOSTON – Nanotechnology, though small in scale, is making a big difference in gastroenterology. Nanoparticles can deliver therapeutic compounds or enable other diagnostic tools, said Vadim Backman, PhD, the Walter Dill Scott Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern University, Chicago, in a video interview at the AGA Tech Summit, sponsored by the AGA Center for GI Innovation and Technology. Nanotechnology can treat disease by reprogramming gene expression or gene regulation. Nanoparticle formulations are FDA approved now for treatment of esophageal, colon, and pancreatic cancers, said Dr. Backman in a video interview, but the ability of nanotechnology to reprogram biological processes at the genetic level has researchers looking at treating inflammatory diseases and regenerating tissues.

[email protected]

BOSTON – Nanotechnology, though small in scale, is making a big difference in gastroenterology. Nanoparticles can deliver therapeutic compounds or enable other diagnostic tools, said Vadim Backman, PhD, the Walter Dill Scott Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern University, Chicago, in a video interview at the AGA Tech Summit, sponsored by the AGA Center for GI Innovation and Technology. Nanotechnology can treat disease by reprogramming gene expression or gene regulation. Nanoparticle formulations are FDA approved now for treatment of esophageal, colon, and pancreatic cancers, said Dr. Backman in a video interview, but the ability of nanotechnology to reprogram biological processes at the genetic level has researchers looking at treating inflammatory diseases and regenerating tissues.

[email protected]

BOSTON – Nanotechnology, though small in scale, is making a big difference in gastroenterology. Nanoparticles can deliver therapeutic compounds or enable other diagnostic tools, said Vadim Backman, PhD, the Walter Dill Scott Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern University, Chicago, in a video interview at the AGA Tech Summit, sponsored by the AGA Center for GI Innovation and Technology. Nanotechnology can treat disease by reprogramming gene expression or gene regulation. Nanoparticle formulations are FDA approved now for treatment of esophageal, colon, and pancreatic cancers, said Dr. Backman in a video interview, but the ability of nanotechnology to reprogram biological processes at the genetic level has researchers looking at treating inflammatory diseases and regenerating tissues.

[email protected]