High Cholesterol Levels Lead to Delayed Pregnancy: Study

A latest study shows that couples with high cholesterol have more problems having babies.

For the study, the researchers examined 501 couples who were trying to conceive. They found that if both the partners had high cholesterol levels it was difficult to conceive. The researchers also noted that if the woman alone had high cholesterol, it resulted in delayed pregnancy.

The research conducted by National Institutes of Health, the University at Buffalo and Emory University in Atlanta, also found that high cholesterol in male partner alone did not increase the chances of delayed pregnancy.

"From our data, it would appear that high cholesterol levels not only increase the risk for cardiovascular disease, but also reduce couples' chances of pregnancy," lead study author Dr Schisterman said in a press release.

Schisterman, chief of the epidemiology branch of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, explained that cholesterol is critical to the production of hormones such as estrogen in women and testosterone in men, as well as sperm. "We need optimal amounts," Schisterman said, reports The Washington Post. "An excess sometimes creates an imbalance of too much hormones, or too little hormones. You have to have a sweet spot."

Schisterman advised that the couples looking forward to having babies lead healthy lifestyles and keep cholesterol levels down. He also noted that couples should not deduce that they can take common medications such as Lipitor that lowers cholesterol.

A recent study stated that daily hygiene products might lead to infertility in men. According to the study, chemicals such as 4-methylbenzylidene camphor (4-MBC), an ultra-violet filter found in some sunscreens, and the anti-bacterial agent Triclosan, used in some toothpastes are responsible for harming sperm count.

The current study was published online in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

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