Not just for potency
Testosterone injections prevented type 2 diabetes in men
Maria Azarova, Naked Science
Over the years, men face a natural gradual drop in testosterone levels – their main sex hormone. This condition is known as hypogonadism or testosterone deficiency syndrome: it entails a number of negative health consequences, such as a decrease in sexual function, depression, and a reduction in muscle and bone mass. In addition, scientists have previously identified a link between a reduced content of this hormone and obesity, as well as an increased risk of developing type II diabetes (insulin-dependent). Hypogonadism is also detected in about a third of diabetic men.
And scientists from the Universities of Sydney and Melbourne and the South Australian Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (Adelaide, Australia) conducted the largest study of its kind, which confirmed that regular injections of testosterone can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes or reverse it at an early stage in adult men. Their work is published in the journal The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.
"Our study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-year trial conducted in six Australian tertiary care centers. The program included 1007 men aged 50 to 74 years, obese or overweight, with a waist circumference of 95 centimeters or more, a serum testosterone concentration of 14 nanomoles per liter or lower, but without pathological hypogonadism and impaired glucose tolerance," the authors write.
The participants of the experiment were randomly divided into two groups: one (504 people) was given intramuscular injections of testosterone undecanoate for six weeks, and then every three months for two years. The second group (503 people), respectively, received a placebo.
In addition, all subjects were given access to a healthy lifestyle program: 30 percent of men from both groups attended meetings, and 70 percent performed the recommended amount of exercise. Over the entire time of the study, each man lost an average of four kilograms. The most common side effect of testosterone therapy was an increase in the number of red blood cells, red blood cells (this affects the blood clotting process).
As a result, 21 percent of the volunteers (87 out of 413) from the placebo group developed type 2 diabetes, while only 12 percent (55 out of 443) of those who were injected with testosterone experienced the disease. Four study participants died.
Men treated with the hormone had lower blood sugar levels on an empty stomach, they also had slightly improved sexual function and increased muscle mass. The effect of treatment did not depend on the initial level of the hormone. "The proportion of men with diabetes in the testosterone treatment group was significantly lower than in the placebo group," said Professor Gary Wittert, who led the study. – It is important to emphasize that the men who were most involved in the healthy lifestyle program lost weight more than others."
Of course, the head of the scientific group notes, their results are important for understanding the role of testosterone in the progression of insulin-dependent diabetes, but hormone injections cannot be considered a panacea: according to the scientist, it is best to fight or completely prevent the disease with a healthy lifestyle. "We don't know the longevity of the effect or the long–term safety of testosterone to prevent type 2 diabetes," Wittert said. "Testosterone treatment may be an option for some men, but everyone needs a thorough assessment of physical and mental health, as well as assistance in maintaining a healthy lifestyle."
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