A scientist in Northern Ireland has shown a direct link between diabetes in men and reduced fertility.

Findings presented by Dr Con Mallidis from Queen's University, Belfast, at the 24th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology today, demonstrated that diabetes damages DNA in sperm.

"We have shown for the first time that diabetes adversely influences male fertility at a molecular level," he reported.

The researchers studied semen samples from male diabetes patients who were being treated with insulin therapy.

Commenting on the research, Dr Mallidis said: "Sperm RNA was significantly altered, and many of the changes we observed are in RNA transcripts involved in DNA repair. And comparison with a database of men of proven fertility confirmed our findings.

"Diabetics have a significant decrease in their ability to repair sperm DNA, and once this is damaged it cannot be restored."

Moving forward, the scientists call for the development of new strategies to protect sperm in men with the condition.

Previous studies have suggested that daily intake of low-fat dairy food can help reduce men's risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

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