Research has linked metabolic syndrome to testosterone deficiency, which can cause decreased muscle and bone mass, depression, low energy, and decreased sex drive and ability. In addition, testosterone deficiency is also associated with the individual symptoms of metabolic syndrome, even when they are present without the other complications.
Investigators collected data from 261 patients with late-onset hypogonadism, characterized by both low testosterone levels and sexual dysfunction, at three centers in Germany. Patients received 1,000 milligrams of a long-acting testosterone drug, called undecanoate, on the first day of the study, at week six, and then every three months. At each visit, patients underwent testing of hormone levels, blood-sugar and lipid concentrations, and blood pressure. Average follow-up was four and a quarter years.
Long-term testosterone management improves metabolic syndrome, as well as all three components of obesity, including waist circumference, weight, and body-mass index; diabetes control; poor lipids profile; and blood pressure.
