Low Testosterone Linked To Diabetes
One out of
three men with type 2 diabetes are at a risk of having diminished production
of testosterone, a study released said.
"This starts
a whole new story on the crucial complications of type 2 diabetes," said
Dr. Paresh Dandona, senior author on the study and director of the Division
of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at the University at Buffalo
and Kaleida Health, where the study was conducted.
Results of
the study show the condition, known clinically as hypogonadism, is caused
not by a defect in the testes, where testosterone is produced, but by improper
functioning of the pituitary gland, which controls production of testosterone,
or of the hypothalamus, the region of the brain that controls the pituitary.
The high prevalence
of low testosterone in diabetic men is concerning, researchers said, because
in addition to lowered libido and erectile dysfunction, the condition is
associated with loss of muscle tone, increase in abdominal fat, loss of
bone density, and can affect mood and cognition.
Results of
the study appear in the November issue of Journal of Clinical Endocrinology
and Metabolism.
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