Low Testosterone Associated With Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome Contributes to Sexual Dysfunction and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Men With Type 2 Diabetes (original) (raw)

Erectile dysfunction is associated with low bioactive testosterone levels and visceral adiposity in men with type 2 diabetes

International Journal of Andrology, 2007

Low testosterone levels in men are associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a frequent complication of type 2 diabetes. The aim of our cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationship between ED and total, bioavailable and free testosterone levels in 198 men with type 2 diabetes. In addition, we examined the associations of various cardiovascular risk factors involved in the development of ED in type 2 diabetic men. We found that bioavailable and free testosterone levels were significantly lower in men with ED (p = 0.006 and 0.027 respectively) than those without ED. Sex hormone-binding globulin levels were also reduced, but there was no significant difference in total testosterone (TT) levels between men with and without ED. The severity of ED as assessed by International Index of Erectile Function scores was significantly associated with TT (r = 0.32; p < 0.001), bioavailable testosterone (r = 0.32; p < 0.001) and calculated free testosterone (r = 0.35; p < 0.001) levels. ED was more frequently observed in men with hypertension and a higher waist circumference (p = 0.03). There was also a higher prevalence of ED among smokers (p = 0.06), but there were no significant associations between ED and alcohol consumption or with BMI > 30. This study has shown that ED is associated with low bioavailable and free testosterone levels, age, visceral adiposity and hypertension in type 2 diabetic men.

Testosterone Levels in Males with Type 2 Diabetes and Their Relationship with Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Cardiovascular Diseases

The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2011

One of the factors involved in type 2 diabetes in males is a reduction in levels of testosterone, which has been shown to predict resistance to insulin and the development of cardiovascular diseases. Aim. To assess the levels of testosterone in patients with type 2 diabetes and to evaluate their relationship with cardiovascular risk factors, peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and silent myocardial ischemia (SMI). Methods. Total testosterone and sex hormone binding globulin were measured and free and bioavailable testosterones were calculated using Vermeulen's formula. Levels of total testosterone Ն12 nmol/L or free testosterone >225 pmol/L were considered normal. PAD was evaluated using the ankle-brachial index. SMI was assessed using a baseline ECG, Doppler echocardiogram, 24-hour electrocardiogram (ECG) Holter, exercise stress testing (EST), nuclear stress (if EST inconclusive), and if the result was positive, a coronary angiography. Main Outcome Measures. PAD, SMI, testosterone, erectile dysfunction, 24-hour blood pressure Holter, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, lipid profile, insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study cardiovascular risk score, nephropathy, retinopathy, and neuropathy. Results. The study population was composed of 192 diabetic males with a mean age of 56.1 Ϯ 7.8 years and without a history of vascular disease. Twenty-three percent presented total testosterone below normal and 21.8% presented low free testosterone. BMI, waist circumference, neuropathy, triglycerides, C-reactive protein (CRP), glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR were found to be significantly incremented with respect to subjects with normal testosterone. There was a negative correlation of HOMA-IR with total testosterone. PAD was detected in 12% and SMI in 10.9% of subjects, and differences were not related to testosterone levels. Conclusions. We have verified the prevalence of low testosterone levels in male patients with type 2 diabetes and have related them to variations in BMI, waist circumference, neuropathy, triglycerides, CRP, glucose, insulin and HOMA-IR, but not with an increase of SMI or PAD. Hernández-Mijares A, García-Malpartida K, Solá-Izquierdo E, Bañuls C, Rocha M, Gómez-Martínez MJ, Mármol R, and Víctor VM. Testosterone levels in males with type 2 diabetes and their relationship with cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular disease.

Testosterone level in men with type 2 diabetes mellitus and related metabolic effects: A review of current evidence

Journal of Diabetes Investigation, 2014

A significant proportion of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus have a low testosterone level relative to reference ranges based on healthy young men. Only a small number of these patients suffer from classical hypogonadism as a result of recognizable hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis pathology. The cutoff value of the serum testosterone level in men without obvious hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis pathology is controversial. It is unclear to what extent a low serum testosterone level causally leads to type 2 diabetes and/or the metabolic syndrome. From a theoretical standpoint, there can be complex interactions among the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, body composition and insulin resistance, which can be further influenced by intrinsic and extrinsic factors to give rise to metabolic syndrome, glucose intolerance, and low-grade inflammation to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Although a low serum testosterone level frequently coexists with cardiometabolic risk factors and might serve as a biomarker, more studies are required to clarify the causal, mediating or modifying roles of low serum testosterone level in the development of adverse clinical outcomes. Currently, there are insufficient randomized clinical trial data to evaluate the effects of testosterone replacement therapy on meaningful clinical outcomes. The risk-to-benefit ratio of testosterone therapy in high-risk subjects, such as those with type 2 diabetes, also requires elucidation. The present article aims to review the current evidence on low serum testosterone levels in patients with type 2 diabetes, and its implications on cardiovascular risk factors, metabolic syndrome and adverse clinical outcomes.

Serum testosterone levels and clinical signs of hypogonadism in men with type 2 diabetes

2021

Men are biologically more prone to type 2 diabetes than women. Studies show that the men with overweight are more likely to get the disease than women. The distribution of fat in the body of an obese person plays an important role in this regard. Because in men, most of the body fat is stored in the liver and around the abdomen and this feature is the most important factor in increasing the risk of diabetes. But instead, women store a lot of fat in the thighs and pelvis. This difference suggests that women need to be fatter than men to develop diabetes. Androgens play a very important role in the development and maintenance of male reproductive and sexual functions, body composition, bone health and behavior. Male hypogonadism is a clinical syndrome caused by androgen deficiency and may have adverse effects on the function of various organs and their quality of life. Androgen deficiency increases by age and also slightly in healthy men. In middle-aged men, the incidence of biochemic...

Testosterone replacement therapy improves insulin resistance, glycaemic control, visceral adiposity and hypercholesterolaemia in hypogonadal men with type 2 diabetes

European Journal of Endocrinology, 2006

Objective: Low levels of testosterone in men have been shown to be associated with type 2 diabetes, visceral adiposity, dyslipidaemia and metabolic syndrome. We investigated the effect of testosterone treatment on insulin resistance and glycaemic control in hypogonadal men with type 2 diabetes. Design: This was a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study in 24 hypogonadal men (10 treated with insulin) over the age of 30 years with type 2 diabetes. Methods: Patients were treated with i.m. testosterone 200 mg every 2 weeks or placebo for 3 months in random order, followed by a washout period of 1 month before the alternate treatment phase. The primary outcomes were changes in fasting insulin sensitivity (as measured by homeostatic model index (HOMA) in those not on insulin), fasting blood glucose and glycated haemoglobin. The secondary outcomes were changes in body composition, fasting lipids and blood pressure. Statistical analysis was performed on the delta values, with the treatment effect of placebo compared against the treatment effect of testosterone. Results: Testosterone therapy reduced the HOMA index (K1.73G0.67, PZ0.02, nZ14), indicating an improved fasting insulin sensitivity. Glycated haemoglobin was also reduced (K0.37G0.17%, PZ0.03), as was the fasting blood glucose (K1.58G0.68 mmol/l, PZ0.03). Testosterone treatment resulted in a reduction in visceral adiposity as assessed by waist circumference (K1.63G0.71 cm, PZ0.03) and waist/hip ratio (K0.03G0.01, PZ0.01). Total cholesterol decreased with testosterone therapy (K0.4G0.17 mmol/l, PZ0.03) but no effect on blood pressure was observed. Conclusions: Testosterone replacement therapy reduces insulin resistance and improves glycaemic control in hypogonadal men with type 2 diabetes. Improvements in glycaemic control, insulin resistance, cholesterol and visceral adiposity together represent an overall reduction in cardiovascular risk.

NCEP-ATPIII-Defined Metabolic Syndrome, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, and Prevalence of Hypogonadism in Male Patients with Sexual Dysfunction

The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2007

Introduction. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are characterized by insulin resistance and often associated with male hypogonadism. Aim. To discriminate the specific contribution of T2DM and MetS to male hypogonadism. Methods. A consecutive series of 1,134 (mean age 52.1 Ϯ 13 years) male patients with sexual dysfunction was studied. Main Outcome Measures. Several hormonal and biochemical parameters were studied along with ANDROTEST, a 12-item validated structured interview, specifically designed for the screening of hypogonadism (total testosterone [TT] <10.4 nmol/L or free testosterone [FT] <37 pmol/L) in a male population with sexual dysfunction. Results. Irrespective of the criteria used to define hypogonadism, MetS was associated with a significantly higher prevalence of the condition, both in subjects with and without T2DM (41% and 29% vs. 13.2% and 77.1% and 58% vs. 40.6%, respectively, for TT and FT in patients with MetS and with or without T2DM, when compared with subjects without MetS and T2DM; both P < 0.0001). Conversely, T2DM was associated with a higher prevalence of hypogonadism in subjects with MetS but not in those without MetS. Patients with MetS, with or without T2DM, also showed a higher ANDROTEST score when compared with patients without MetS. Logistic multivariate regression analysis, incorporating the five components of MetS, identified a significant association of elevated waist circumference and hypertriglyceridemia with hypogonadism both in patients, with or without T2DM. Conclusions. Our study demonstrated that MetS, and in particular visceral adiposity (as assessed by increased waistline and hypertriglyceridemia), is specifically associated with hypogonadism in subjects consulting for sexual dysfunction.

Testosterone deficiency in non-obese type 2 diabetic male patients

Archivio Italiano di Urologia e Andrologia

Background and aims: it is unclear whether male hypogonadism is ascribable to the diabetic state per se, or because of other factors, such as obesity or age. We aimed to investigate the prevalence and identify the predictors for testosterone deficiency among non-obese type 2 diabetic males. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 95 nonobese type 2 diabetic males with BMI below 30. We evaluated the total testosterone (TT) levels to determine prevalence and risk factors of testosterone deficiency. Serum TT ≤ 300 ng/dl defined testosterone deficiency. Results: The prevalence of testosterone deficiency was 29.1%. Testosterone deficient patients had statistically significantly higher visceral adiposity index (VAI), waist, and triglyceride in comparison with normal testosterone patients. TT level correlated with VAI, waist, BMI, LH, and age. VAI was the only significant predictor of TT levels even after adjustment for age and BMI in regression analysis. Furthermore, VAI was ...