Advancing paternal age does not negatively impact fresh embryo transfer cycle outcomes

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Infertility Research
• Assisted Reproductive Technologies

Background:

• Paternal age is increasingly recognized as a factor in reproductive outcomes.
• The impact of advanced paternal age on fresh embryo transfer (ET) outcomes, particularly when stratified by maternal age, requires further investigation.
• Understanding these age-related effects is crucial for patient counseling and optimizing fertility treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the association between advanced paternal age, stratified by maternal age, and the success rates of fresh embryo transfer cycles.
• To determine if paternal age independently influences key outcomes such as live birth, implantation, clinical pregnancy, and pregnancy loss.
• To assess the role of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in overcoming potential adverse effects of paternal aging.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 6704 first autologous fresh ET cycles (2013-2019) at a high-volume academic institution.
• Maternal age dichotomized (<37 years vs. ≥37 years); paternal age stratified into three groups (<38 years, 38-48 years, ≥48 years).
• Logistic regression analysis adjusted for female age, sperm retrieval method, sperm quality, and embryo stage at transfer.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant differences in implantation, clinical intrauterine pregnancy, pregnancy loss, or live birth rates were observed across different paternal age groups when controlling for maternal age and other factors.
• Univariable analysis showed some associations, but these did not persist in multivariable logistic regression models.
• The study included a large cohort, allowing for robust statistical analysis of various paternal and maternal age combinations.

Conclusions:

• Advanced paternal age does not appear to negatively impact clinical outcomes in fresh embryo transfer cycles.
• In vitro fertilization (IVF), with or without intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), may effectively counteract the detrimental effects of paternal aging on sperm and embryo quality.
• These findings suggest that paternal age alone may not be a significant barrier to successful conception and live birth in the context of current ART practices.