In a recently published prospective study in the journal, Molecular Reproduction and Development, men who exhibited a normal Cap-Score had more than a fourfold increase in generating a pregnancy during the first attempt, compared to those men who scored low. Similarly, men who had a normal score, also had a dramatic and consistently higher ability to generate a pregnancy in both the second and third attempts.*
In this study, Cap-Score and clinical pregnancy outcomes were analyzed for 91 couples. Based on their Cap-Scores, men were separated into groups that categorized them by their probability to generate a pregnancy. The published data showed that men with normal Cap-Scores generated four times the number of pregnancies in the first attempt than men with low Cap-Scores.*
Next, the study tested the ability of the traditional semen analysis to measure a man’s fertility and predict his probability of generating a pregnancy, versus Cap-Score. This was done by comparing the semen analysis measures — sperm count, motility, volume — of men who were and were not successful in generating a pregnancy. Of all sperm measures, Cap-Score alone was deemed the most appropriate measure and predictor of a man’s ability to generate a pregnancy. Simply stated, Cap-Score is the only proven measure of a man’s fertility.
In contrast to the predictive power of Cap-Score, traditional semen analysis measures were not related to the man’s ability to generate a pregnancy.
A separate and independently published review demonstrated that the use of Cap-Score as part of the standard of care not only increased clinical pregnancy rates, but also greatly reduced medical costs and enabled a more personalized approach to the treatment of infertility.
The potential increase in clinical pregnancy rates and cost savings attributable to Cap-Score, consistently improve with age. The Cap-Score therefore increases in clinical and economic value for couples who would otherwise have a hard time conceiving.
The Cap-Score, whether normal or low, allows the clinician along with the couple, to determine what degree of fertility assistance or intervention may be needed. If you are actively trying to conceive or just thinking about starting a family, knowledge of his Cap-Score can highlight where potential issues may lie, be it the man or the woman. Cap-Score can serve as the initial guide to what steps you should take first as a couple and how soon you should take them.
Even with a low Cap-Score, conception is still possible. As with any Cap-Score result, including a normal score, it is always advantageous to speak with a reproductive specialist. Fertility is never a finite measure. It’s dynamic and can be influenced by any number of male or female factors. As such, fertility exists in a low to high spectrum. Depending on the man’s probability to generate a pregnancy, along with any other contributing factors of the couple, a reproductive specialist may suggest different degrees of intervention, or none at all.
Male fertility exists in a low to high continuum, rather than a binary “fertile vs infertile” categorization defined by a specific cut-off.
“The ability to determine the man’s probability of generating a pregnancy is a substantial advance for all couples when planning their families. This is particularly important when childbirth is being delayed resulting in an increased likelihood of encountering potential problems,” said Gianpiero Palermo, MD, PhD, Director of Assisted Fertilization and the Andrology Laboratory at the Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine.
Cap-Score is also a powerful tool when it comes to understanding and managing the man’s fertility. Cap-Score can help assess substances that may be beneficial or harmful to a man’s reproductive system. Cap-Score provides a way to track effects on the man’s fertility, and more importantly, identify whether these effects are positive or negative. Everyday medications we take may have a negative impact on fertility. Conversely, there are supplements and suggested lifestyle changes purported to improve a man’s fertility. Cap-Score offers a way to measure the man’s fertility by providing a mechanism to closely track the effects of a suggested regimen or lifestyle change, and whether it increases, decreases or maintains your current level of fertility.
April 30, 2020
Fady Sharara, Eric Seaman, Randy Morris, Jay Schinfeld, Jennifer Nichols, Michael Sobel, Annette Lee, Stephen Somkuti, Steven Hirshberg, Tara Budinetz, Larry Barmat, Gianpiero Palermo, Zev Rosenwaks, Natan Bar-Chama, Joshua Bodie, John Nichols, John Payne, Travis McCoy, Edward Tarnawa, Gail Whitman-Elia, Lauren Weissmann, Maria Doukakis, Joshua Hurwitz, Mark Leondires, Cynthia Murdock, Ilana Ressler, Spencer Richlin, Shaun Williams, Matthew Wosnitzer, Michael Butcher, James Kashanian, Peter Ahlering, Mira Aubuchon, G. Charles Ostermeier, Alexander J. Travis
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