New study points to health benefits of testosterone treatment in hypogonadal men
25 Oct 2013
A new study has suggested that testosterone treatment in hypogonadal (testosterone deficient) men restored normal lipid profiles and may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), who conducted the study, investigated the effects of testosterone treatment in 255 hypogonadal men whose age ranged from 33-69. The men were followed for a period of five years.
The researchers found that men treated with testosterone therapy experienced a gradual reduction of their total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides as also increased high density lipoprotein.
According to lead author Addulmaged M Traish, MBA, PhD, professor of biochemistry and urology as also research director of the Institute of Sexual Medicine, at BUSM, in addition to improving their cholesterol levels, the researchers found that the testosterone treatment resulted in marked reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well, which suggested amelioration of hypertension.
He added, the treatment also reduced fasting blood glucose and hemoglobin A1c, a surrogate marker of hyperglycemia, suggesting that testosterone treatment might improve insulin sensitivity and hyperglycemic control.
The study also found that the treatment reduced the levels of inflammatory biomarkers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and markers of liver dysfunction such as alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, suggesting reduction in the inflammation responses.
Testosterone deficiency is also found in overweight and obese men.
According to Traish, the data were congruent with the researchers' previous work which found that long-term testosterone resulted in a gradual decline in weight and waist circumference and strongly suggested that testosterone therapy in hypogonadal men may prove useful in reducing the risk of cardiometabolic diseases.
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