Serum testosterone levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus has been suggested as one of several chronic conditions in which there is a high prevalence of low testosterone levels. Establishing this relationship conclusively may have profound effects in the management of diabetes and hypogonadism. These results need to be confirmed in more diabetic men, and, therefore an elaborative study was done to confirm these findings in the Indian population. Objective: This study was performed to evaluate serum testosterone levels in male patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus and their age and BMI-matched controls and find out the correlation between type 2 diabetes and serum testosterone levels Methods: In this cross-sectional study, carried out in GSVM Medical College, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 50 male patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus and their 50 age and BMI-matched male controls were studied and their serum free testosterone concentrations were measured. Mean age of controls was 52.4 ± 4.2 years and that of diabetic cases was 53.5 ± 4.38. The mean BMI of controls was 23.5 ± 1.9 kg/m2 while in cases it was 27.2 ± 2.3 kg/m2. Results: The free testosterone concentrations in diabetic cases was 3.34 ± 0.319 ng/dl which was significantly lower than the free testosterone concentrations in controls (mean value 10.64 ± 0.43 ng/dl) age and BMI groups (P < 0.001). 46 (92%) of 50 cases had subnormal free testosterone concentrations (< 6.5 ng/ dl) while only 4 (8%) of controls had low subnormal serum testosterones (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Serum free testosterone levels are significantly lower in type 2 diabetics irrespective of age and BMI of patients.