This paper was published in the Journal of Andrology 2005 Jan-Feb;26(1):12
Study title and author:
Atorvastatin and male infertility: is there a link?
Niederberger C.
Division of Andrology, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA.
This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15611560
Niederberger notes that some doctors have noticed many men on Lipitor (atorvastatin) have low sperm motility. Sperm motility describes the ability of sperm to "swim" properly towards an egg to enable a successful pregnancy.
Coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinone) is a vitamin-like substance produced by the body.
Niedberger relays how sperm motility may be affected by statins by the following mechanism:
(a) Statins inhibit the production of Coenzyme Q10. Even a brief exposure to atorvastatin causes a marked decrease in blood Coenzyme Q10 concentrations.
(b) Coenzyme Q10 is vital for energy production and is also an important antioxidant. Both these properties are vital for sperm motility.
(c) Coenzyme Q10 is present in high concentrations in semen and high levels of coenzyme Q10 correlate with increased sperm motility.
This paper shows the mechanism of how statins can cause male infertility.
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