February 27th, 2023
1) Does male chronic alcohol consumption affect fertility in relationship? From the study: "Mechanistically, we found that preconception paternal alcohol exposure disrupts embryonic gene expression, including Fgf4 and Egfr, two critical regulators of trophectoderm stem cell growth and placental patterning, with lasting impacts on the histological organization of the late-term placenta. The changes in placental histoarchitecture were accompanied by altered regulation of pathways controlling mitochondrial function, oxidative phosphorylation and some imprinted genes. Our studies indicate that male alcohol
use may significantly impede IVF success rates, increasing the couple’s financial burden and emotional stress, and highlights the need to expand prepregnancy messaging to emphasize the reproductive dangers of alcohol use by both parents".(Roach et. al. 2023)
This adds to a litany of new data sets regarding the risks of alcohol in humans with chronic use. Poor reproduction is just a new wrinkle in the long line of concerns.
2) "The age-, sex-, and race-adjusted incidence of and mortality from Amyotrophic lateral Sclerosis among all NFL players who debuted between 1960 and 2019 were nearly 4 times as high as those of the general population. Athletes with a diagnosis of ALS had longer NFL careers than those without ALS, suggesting an association between NFL duration of play and ALS." (Daneshvar et. al. 2021)
This study matters because a four fold increased risk of neurodegeneration in a sport that is highly associated with concussions and head trauma leads to linkage risk.
3) In a study looking at head trauma and hazard ratios for all cause mortality are presented in JAMA. "Median follow-up time was 27.0 years. Head injuries occurred among 2402 participants, most of which were classified as mild. The hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause mortality among individuals with head injury was 1.99 compared with those with no head injury, with evidence of a dose-dependent association with head injury frequency (1 head injury: HR, 1.66; 2 or more head injuries: HR, 2.11 and severity mild: HR, 2.16 moderate, severe, or penetrating: HR, 2.87." (Elser et. al. 2023)
Each head injury increases mortality risk with worsening severity leading to ever yet worsened outcomes.
TAKE HOME POINT:
We need to do all that we can to reduce head injuries first and foremost by using quality equipment as well as protective training to limit the risk of a head injury. We need to encourage Omega 3 fatty acid intake to prevent and or resolve the post injury inflammation. I am a big fan of baseline fish oil intake with increased doses post injury. We need to encourage healthy food consumption to also reduce brain inflammation.
Dr. M
Roach Molecular Human Reprodcution
Daneshvar JAMA
Elser JAMA Neurology
Heileson J Inter Soc Sports Nutrition
