Heat generated by the use of laptop computers might affect men's fertility, researchers reported Wednesday.
Using laptops for one hour increased the temperatures of men's scrotums by about 5 degrees, according to a study at State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Earlier studies found that raising scrotal temperatures by more than 2 degrees can decrease the number and quality of sperm, which in turn can reduce fertility.
The new study, published in the European journal Human Reproduction, does not prove laptops affect fertility, since researchers did not measure sperm counts in the 29 volunteers.
Nevertheless, men still should consider taking laptops off their laps, said fertility specialist and lead author Dr. Yefim Sheynkin.
"Use it as a desktop," he said.
Optimal conditions
For optimal fertility, a man's testicles need to be several degrees cooler than his core temperature -- which helps explain why they hang outside the body.
When a man holds a laptop on his lap, he has to keep his thighs together, which increases his scrotal temperature. That temperature is further increased by the heat coming off the computer.
As laptops get faster, they consume more energy and generate more heat. In the two Pentium 4 models used in the study, the bottom surface temperature increased from 88 degrees at the beginning of the experiment to 105 degrees after 60 minutes.
Temperatures holding steady
Manufacturers are outfitting laptops with fans and copper fins to dissipate heat. Consequently, "computers are not that much warmer than they used to be," said engineer Dan Nelson of Enertron Inc., which makes computer cooling systems.
High-end laptops, with batteries that last at least four hours, consume less energy and have lower temperatures than low-end models with shorter battery lives, Nelson said.
Sheynkin said it's possible computer manufacturers will add heat shields to laptops. "But it is essential to confirm their protective effect in a clinical study to prevent commercial advertising and use of inefficient and useless products," he said.
Laptops are the latest in a growing list of lifestyle factors that can increase scrotal temperatures. Earlier studies implicated plastic-lined disposable diapers, prolonged car driving and, to a lesser extent, sitting at a desk all day. However, there's no significant temperature difference between wearing boxers or briefs, Sheynkin said.
The effect of higher scrotal temperatures on fertility is reversible, if the user stays away from the heat source for at least three months, studies have found.
Source: http://www.suntimes.com/output/health/cst-nws-lap09.html
Using laptops for one hour increased the temperatures of men's scrotums by about 5 degrees, according to a study at State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Earlier studies found that raising scrotal temperatures by more than 2 degrees can decrease the number and quality of sperm, which in turn can reduce fertility.
The new study, published in the European journal Human Reproduction, does not prove laptops affect fertility, since researchers did not measure sperm counts in the 29 volunteers.
Nevertheless, men still should consider taking laptops off their laps, said fertility specialist and lead author Dr. Yefim Sheynkin.
"Use it as a desktop," he said.
Optimal conditions
For optimal fertility, a man's testicles need to be several degrees cooler than his core temperature -- which helps explain why they hang outside the body.
When a man holds a laptop on his lap, he has to keep his thighs together, which increases his scrotal temperature. That temperature is further increased by the heat coming off the computer.
As laptops get faster, they consume more energy and generate more heat. In the two Pentium 4 models used in the study, the bottom surface temperature increased from 88 degrees at the beginning of the experiment to 105 degrees after 60 minutes.
Temperatures holding steady
Manufacturers are outfitting laptops with fans and copper fins to dissipate heat. Consequently, "computers are not that much warmer than they used to be," said engineer Dan Nelson of Enertron Inc., which makes computer cooling systems.
High-end laptops, with batteries that last at least four hours, consume less energy and have lower temperatures than low-end models with shorter battery lives, Nelson said.
Sheynkin said it's possible computer manufacturers will add heat shields to laptops. "But it is essential to confirm their protective effect in a clinical study to prevent commercial advertising and use of inefficient and useless products," he said.
Laptops are the latest in a growing list of lifestyle factors that can increase scrotal temperatures. Earlier studies implicated plastic-lined disposable diapers, prolonged car driving and, to a lesser extent, sitting at a desk all day. However, there's no significant temperature difference between wearing boxers or briefs, Sheynkin said.
The effect of higher scrotal temperatures on fertility is reversible, if the user stays away from the heat source for at least three months, studies have found.
Source: http://www.suntimes.com/output/health/cst-nws-lap09.html
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