Eghbaldoost, A., Salehi Mashhadsari, S. P., Ghadirzadeh, E., Ghoreifi, A., & Allameh, F. (2023). Therapeutic Effects of Low-Level Laser on Male Infertility: A Systematic Review. Journal of lasers in medical sciences. https://doi.org/10.34172/jlms.2023.36
Eghbaldoost A, Salehi Mashhadsari SP, Ghadirzadeh E, Ghoreifi A, Allameh F. Therapeutic Effects of Low-Level Laser on Male Infertility: A Systematic Review. Journal of lasers in medical sciences. 2023. doi:10.34172/jlms.2023.36
Eghbaldoost, Amirreza, et al. "Therapeutic Effects of Low-Level Laser on Male Infertility: A Systematic Review." Journal of lasers in medical sciences, 2023.
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RRM Academy Synopsis
Low-level laser light raised sperm motility in 14 studies
A systematic review of 15 studies found that low-level laser light raised the share of moving sperm in all 14 studies that measured effectiveness. Fourteen studies used semen samples in the lab, and one randomized trial enrolled 70 men. Ten of the 11 studies that tested safety confirmed it.
Key Findings
The review included 15 studies: 14 in vitro controlled trials using 477 semen samples in total and one double-blind randomized trial of 70 men.
Every one of the 14 studies that measured efficacy found that photobiomodulation (PBM) raised the share of progressively moving sperm in a semen sample.
Eleven studies ran safety tests. Ten confirmed that PBM was safe, and one study of 58 samples concluded that it was unsafe.
In four of seven studies that measured motility at several time intervals, the largest gain appeared at the 30-minute time point.
In the randomized trial of laser acupuncture, men had higher sperm motility and concentration only in the third sample, collected 3 months after treatment ended.
Interpretation
The authors ran a systematic review of papers from 2000 to September 2022. Nearly all the evidence comes from sperm in lab dishes, and one randomized trial studied men. The authors note that the studies differed in who was tested, the light used, exposure time, sample size and safety tests. They conclude the good results cannot be credited to the laser alone.
RRM Context
The review says male factors account for about half of infertility cases. The laser targets one semen measure, sperm motility. Restorative reproductive medicine evaluates both partners and asks why a semen result is low.
Our editorial summary of this paper, not the article's abstract.
Abstract
Introduction
The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness and safety of photobiomodulation (PBM) in the treatment of male infertility.
Methods
We searched Google Scholar, PubMed, and the reference sections of relevant papers published from January 1, 2000 to September 23, 2022. We retrieved all publications related to the impact of PBM on male infertility. After reviewing the titles, abstracts, and full texts, we included fifteen papers in the research. The studies involved 477 semen samples (in vitro studies) and 70 male participants (randomized clinical trials).
Results
All 14 in vitro studies that evaluated effectiveness reported that PBM was successful in increasing the proportion of progressive sperms in semen samples. Various methods were used to evaluate the safety. One study with a sample size of 58 concluded that PBM was not a safe treatment, whereas the other ten studies confirmed its safety. Only one clinical trial evaluated the effect of laser acupuncture on male infertility and found improvements in sperm progressive motility without any serious adverse effects.
Conclusion
All 15 studies evaluating effectiveness reported that the low-level laser was effective for increasing the proportion of progressive sperm in semen samples and that it was safe to use. However, due to the heterogeneity of population characteristics, source characteristics, duration of exposure, sample size, and instruments for measuring safety and efficacy, we cannot conclude that the positive results obtained from the reviewed studies are solely attributable to the low-level laser on the sperm samples.
