Obesity represents one of the main public health challenges in Italy, with a significant impact on both the general population and the healthcare system. Obesity is associated with numerous complications, including male infertility. It negatively affects reproductive health for several reasons. This factor is part of the broader problem of the birth rate decline Since 2008, the year in which 576,000 births were recorded, in Italy there has been a reduction of 34%, equal to 197,000 fewer units (ISTAT data). In Veneto, 46% of the population is made up of overweight or obese people (Sorveglianza Passi data, Istituto Superiore di Sanità).
“These data highlight a growing problem and the need for preventive or therapeutic intervention” – declared the Professor Carlo Forestapresident of the ETS Forest Foundation, announcing the recent discovery of how a class of drugs used for the treatment of obesity and diabetes, the so-called GLP-1 receptor agonists (Glucagon-Like Peptide – 1) effective in promoting a weight loss of 15-20% in obese subjects, are able to act directly on the induction of sperm motility, also activating the mechanisms that make the spermatozoon suitable for fertilizing capacity.
In particular, the anti-obesity molecule tirzepatide helps lose weight and acts directly on the molecular mechanisms that prepare the spermatozoa to fertilize the oocyte.
The discovery by the University of Padua was presented to the scientific community during the 40th Conference on Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine with the theme: “The birth rate in crisis: risk factors and defense strategies” which was held on January 29th and 30th 2026in the Aula Magna of Palazzo Bo of the University of Padua. During the conference, figures of excellence in the fields of medicine, biology, statistics and environmental sciences met. The event brought together: gynecologists, andrologists, endocrinologists, urologists and general practitioners, as well as biologists, embryologists and laboratory technicians. During the two days of studies, the topic of the birth rate decline and the many factors that influence it were addressed.
The research, study method and results
The new experimental research in Italy was conducted at the University of Padua by a team of researchers led by the professor Carlo Forestain collaboration with the professor Alberto Ferlin of the Department of Medicine of the University of Padua and professor Andrea Di Nisio of Pegasus University. The researchers documented the presence of GLP-1, a physiological hormone produced by our intestine after food intake and from which the drugs now used for the treatment of obesity derive, in the seminal fluid of healthy subjects and the presence of receptors for GLP1 on the membrane of the spermatozoa. This suggests a physiological role of this hormone, also at a reproductive level, independently of its metabolic role in other areas. The stimulation of these receptors by the GLP-1 agonist drug induced a clear increase in sperm motility and a structural modification of the membrane with the activation of molecular systems that are superimposable to those observed when the spermatozoon is activated, through a mechanism known as capacitation and acrosome reactionto prepare it for the fertilization of the oocyte.
“These results are of great impact because they demonstrate that the drug tirzepatide it positively influences the fertility of the obese subject, not only indirectly through weight loss, but also by directly stimulating the maturation phases that make the spermatozoon capable of fertilization”, explained Professor Di Nisio. “The results suggest a possible treatment of male infertility with tirzepatide even in clinical conditions that are not related to obesity or diabetes. Obviously, further clinical studies are necessary to delve deeper into the experimental results obtained.”
“Innovative pharmacological interventions, such as those proposed with GLP-1 receptor agonists, are effective, not only for the treatment of obesity or diabetes, but also for a possible treatment of male infertility, due to the demonstrated effectiveness of the tirzepatide molecule on sperm motility and on the molecular mechanisms that allow the spermatozoon to reach and penetrate the oocyte” – concluded Professor Foresta.
“This hypothesis, currently experimental, requires clinical verification. It is already an important therapeutic resource, but they must be integrated with preventive strategies, health education and lifestyle changes. Attention to the complications of obesity, including male infertility, underlines the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in the management of this pathology.”
General obesity and male infertility in Italy
Approximately 47.6% of Italian adults are overweight or obese, with a prevalence of 36.1% for overweight and 11.5% for obesity. Among children, 26.3% have weight problems, with 19% overweight and 9.8% suffering from obesity (ISS data). Obesity is associated with numerous complications, including male infertility. It negatively affects reproductive health for various reasons: it causes a hormonal imbalance which alters spermatogenesis, it increases oxidative stress, generating free radicals which compromise the quality of spermatozoa. The combination of these factors can lead to an increased risk of infertility which is part of the broader problem of the current birth rate.
date: 2026-02-09 23:09:00