ReviewJournal of human reproductive sciences
Exploring the Association between Arsenic Exposure and Sperm Quality: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Review in Journal of human reproductive sciences. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Human beings are routinely exposed to arsenic, a ubiquitous environmental toxicant present in food, water, air and soil. Both acute and chronic exposure to this metalloid poses significant health risks, including negative impact on the male reproductive system, as evident from studies in humans and animals. Objective: The current systematic review evaluated the impact of arsenic exposure on semen quality in human populations to determine any association between decline in semen quality and arsenic exposure. Materials and Methods: A total of 361 studies were retrieved from systematic literature search in electronic databases, namely Scopus, PubMed and Cochrane central databases. Two step screening process was performed by two reviewers independently, and finally four studies were included in the review. Results: Two cross-sectional studies were included for meta-analysis. In cross-sectional studies, pooled mean semen volume (3.18 ml; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.34-4.02; Interpretation: The meta-analysis suggests that arsenic exposure may negatively influence semen volume, with inconsistent effects on concentration and motility. Despite biological plausibility involving oxidative stress and endocrine disruption, the limited number of studies and methodological variability restrict definitive conclusions. Further large scale, longitudinal studies with standardised exposure and outcome assessments are essential to validate these findings. Limitations: The small number of eligible studies and high heterogeneity across designs and exposure assessments limit the generalizability of findings. In addition, the lack of longitudinal data restricts causal inference regarding arsenic's effect on semen quality.
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