The mean age of fathers in England and Wales increased from 29.3 in 1980 to 32.1 in 2003.

George Davey Smith, M.D.

Advanced paternal age: How old is too old?
Isabelle Bray, David Gunnell, George Davey Smith

J Epidemiol Community Health 2006;60:851–853. doi: 10.1136/jech.2005.045179


The public health implications of this trend have not
been widely anticipated or debated.





Isabelle Bray, David Gunnel and George Davey Smith
Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, UK

Journal of Epidemiology amd Community Health 2006;60:851-853

"Average paternal age in the UK is increasing. The public health implications of this trend have not been widely anticipated or debated. .....Accumulated chromosomal aberrations and mutations occurring during the maturation of the male germ cells are thought to be responsible for the increased risk of certain conditions with older fathers. Growing evidence shows that the offspring of older fathers have reduced fertility and an increased risk of birth defects, some cancers and schizophrenia." ......


Changing patterns of education, employment, and
marriage mean that the average age of childbearing
for women is increasing, resulting in higher risks of
adverse reproductive outcomes.1 2 It has recently been
suggested that the decade 25–35 years is the optimal age
for women in Westernised societies to have their children
balancing education, career, and family.3 In England and
Wales, the mean age at childbearing increased from 26.4
years in 1974 to 29.3 years in 2002.1 Healthcare systems have
responded to the increased risk associated with delaying
maternity by offering screening for congenital abnormalities
and treatment for infertility.4 5 Meanwhile, the average
paternal age is also increasing. The mean age of fathers in
England and Wales increased from 29.2 years in 1980 to 32.1
in 2002.6 The public health implications of this trend have not
been widely anticipated or debated.




Illnesses in adulthood
Some diseases of complex aetiology such as schizophrenia are
associated with advanced paternal age.10 This may be because
of an increase in mutations arising in paternal germ cells,
although the possibility of confounding (for example, by
schizoid personality traits) cannot be ruled out.16 To illustrate
the possible scale of the effects, results from a Swedish
population based cohort study have been used to estimate
that the increase in paternal age since 1980 could account for
about 10% of new cases of schizophrenia diagnosed in the UK
in 2002.20 Advanced paternal age is associated with increased
risk of cancers in offspring (for example, breast, prostate,
nervous system).10 There is less conclusive data regarding
Alzheimer’s disease.10