MONDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) -- Among obese men older than 45 years of age, 40 percent of those without diabetes and half of those with diabetes have below-normal free testosterone (FT) concentrations, according to research published online in Diabetes Care.
Sandeep Dhindsa, M.D., of the State University of New York at Buffalo, and colleagues analyzed data from 1,849 men, 398 of whom had diabetes. All participants were over 45 years of age.
The researchers found below-normal concentrations of FT in 26, 29, and 40 percent of lean, overweight, and obese participants without diabetes, respectively (P < 0.001 for trend), and in 44, 44, and 50 percent of lean, overweight, and obese participants with diabetes, respectively (P = 0.46 for trend within group, P < 0.05 compared to men without diabetes). These groups were defined by body mass index (BMI). In each BMI category, men with diabetes had a higher prevalence of below-normal FT concentration than men without diabetes. FT concentrations were inversely related to BMI as well as age.
"Both obesity and diabetes appear to exert independent effects on the prevalence of low FT concentrations in addition to age. In view of the high rates of prevalence of subnormal FT in patients with obesity or diabetes, the concentrations of FT should be measured in these populations especially when these conditions occur concomitantly," the authors conclude.
The data for this article came from a study conducted by Solvay Pharmaceuticals. A co-author is supported by grants from pharmaceutical companies.
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