Fabio Castiglione։ Your Lifestyle Today Could Influence Your Future Children
Fabio Castiglione, Men’s Health Lead at Vira Health, shared a post on LinkedIn about a paper by Sergio Pecorelli et al. published in Nature Reviews Urology:
“Your Lifestyle Today Could Influence Your Future Children.
Sperm Carries More Than DNA: Why a Father’s Health Matters Before Conception
For decades, conversations about pregnancy and the health of future children have focused mainly on the mother.
But a growing area of research is showing that fathers matter too – even before conception.
A recent article in Nature Reviews Urology highlights an important concept:
Sperm carries more than DNA.
Sperm also contains biological information known as epigenetic signals and different types of RNA.
Think of DNA as the genetic ‘book’ we inherit.
Epigenetics is more like the instructions telling the body how and when to read that book.
And these instructions may be influenced by a man’s environment and lifestyle.
Research suggests that factors such as:
- obesity and metabolic health
- diet
- stress
- exposure to pollutants and certain chemicals
- excessive heat
- occupational exposures
can potentially change some of the molecular signals carried by sperm.
Why does this matter?
Because some of these signals may influence early embryo development and potentially the health of the next generation.
There is also an encouraging side to this story.
Sperm is continuously produced and matured. This means that some environmentally influenced changes could potentially be modifiable before conception.
Perhaps we should therefore start thinking differently about preconception health.
It should not simply mean:
‘What should the woman do before pregnancy?’
It should increasingly mean:
‘What can both parents do to optimise their health before conception?’
For men, this could include improving metabolic health, maintaining a healthy weight, eating well, reducing unnecessary toxic exposures and avoiding excessive testicular heat.
Importantly, much of this science is still developing. Some of the strongest mechanistic evidence comes from animal and experimental studies, and we still need robust longitudinal human studies to understand exactly how these findings translate into clinical outcomes.
But the message is increasingly important:
Male fertility is not only about sperm count.
It may also be about the biological information sperm carries.
And looking after a man’s health before conception may ultimately become part of looking after the health of the next generation.”
Title: Fathers matter too: sperm-borne epigenetic messages link paternal exposures to next-generation health
Authors: Sergio Pecorelli, Roberto Lucchini, Luca Lambertini, Giuseppe Novelli
You can read the Full Article in Nature Reviews Urology.
Stay informed with the latest updates in fertility and reproductive medicine on Fertility News.
-
Oct 5, 2026, 18:07Laura Rienzi: Enjoyed Attending the First Standalone Gedeon Richter Meeting on Fertility
-
Oct 5, 2026, 18:05Ying Cheong: Delighted to Join the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Webinar on RIF
-
Oct 5, 2026, 18:02Wendaline VanBuren: Bringing Patients and Experts Together to Explore Unanswered Questions About Women’s Health
-
Oct 5, 2026, 17:59Laura Rienzi: What Happens When You Bring Together the Best Minds in Reproductive Medicine?
-
Oct 5, 2026, 17:51Registration Is Open for the Procreation Symposium Naples 2026 by IVIRMA Italia
-
Oct 5, 2026, 17:42Margaret Cali: You’re Allowed to Rest Without Having Earned It First…
-
Oct 5, 2026, 17:39Chadi Yazbeck: Fibroids and Infertility – Do You Really Need Surgery?
-
Oct 5, 2026, 17:33Nina Brown: Until a Few Weeks Ago, I Didn’t Even Know Silent Endometriosis Existed…
-
Oct 5, 2026, 17:27Theofano Bounartzi: Professional Growth in Embryology Comes from Continuously Investing in Learning