Table 3. Number of low and high-quality studies analysing semen parameters and/or sperm function after antioxidant treatment, overall as well as in each clinical condition.
| Group | Category | Report of semen parameters | Report of sperm function | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of articles on the total of studies | % of studies reporting an improvement after AOX treatment | Number of articles on the total of studies | % of studies reporting an improvement after AOX treatment | ||
| Overall (n=97) | Low quality | 70/90 (77.8) | 85.7*** | 50/60 (83.3) | 89.6*** |
| High quality | 20/90 (22.2) | 65.0 | 12/60 (20.0) | 58.3 | |
| Varicocele (n=11) | Low quality | 9/11 (81.8) | 75.0 | 6/11 (54.5) | 83.0 |
| High quality | 2/11 (18.2) | - | 0/11 (0) | - | |
| Abnormal semen quality (n=45) | Low quality | 36/44 (81.8) | 94.4*** | 20/25 (80.0) | 90.0** |
| High quality | 8/44 (18.2) | 50.0 | 5/25 (20.0) | 60.0 | |
| Idiopathic male infertility (n=10) | Low quality | 6/9 (66.7) | 83.0 | 5/7 (71.4) | 80.0 |
| High quality | 3/9 (33.3) | 100*** | 2/7 (28.6) | 100*** | |
| Unexplained male infertility (n=5) | Low quality | 4/5 (80.0) | 83.3 | 3/4 (75.0) | 100*** |
| High quality | 1/5 (20.0) | 100*** | 1/4 (25.0) | 100*** | |
Values are presented as number (%) or percentage only.
AOX: antioxidant, -: not available.
Chi-square test: **p<0.01, ***p<0.0001.