Urologii︠a︡ (Moscow, Russia : 1999)
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Randomized Controlled Trial
[Adjuvant antioxidant therapy in varicocele infertility].
Infertility affects an estimated 15% of couples globally. Male factor infertility accounts for about a half of infertility cases. About 40% of infertile men have varicocele. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of a complex of acetyl-L-carnitine, L-carnitine fumarate and alpha-lipoic acid (SpermActin-forte) (SA) for adjuvant antioxidant therapy after microsurgical varicocelectomy (MVE) in men with varicocele and assess its impact on the level of DNA fragmentation in sperm cells. ⋯ Using nutraceuticals (SA) after MVE is an effective and safe adjuvant antioxidant therapy of male infertility in patients with varicocele which leads to an improvement in the basic sperm parameters (sperm concentration and motility) and a decrease in the level of sperm DNA fragmentation in the short term. Adjuvant antioxidant therapy of varicocele infertility potentiates the effects of monotherapy (both medical and surgical), leads to an increase in its effectiveness and shortens the time to pregnancy. Further studies in this field are needed to assess long-term outcomes of the treatment.