Disclaimer #1: Beware of my biases as I write this blog based upon what I find interesting & newsworthy.Disclaimer #2: It's always better to wait for a study to be published in a peer-reviewed journal, rather than just running with the data based upon an abstract presentation at a conference.
But with that in mind, this abstract was just presented at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists' annual meeting this last week in Phoenix, AZ. Before I go on, let me give you a few caveats, specifically what this abstract doesn't recommend. The authors are not recommending that we test all men for hypogonadism. Furthermore, they are not recommending that we put testosterone in the water.
Rather the authors in this small study of 39 hypogonadal men compared to 42 "normal" men, aside from their Type 2 diabetes, randomized to 250mg of intramuscular testosterone every 2 weeks vs placebo for a total of 6 months demonstrated improvement or decrease in insulin resistance in those who received testosterone. Yes, there were some issues, but overall, in those hypogonadal men who received testosterone, benefit exceeded side effects & untoward events.
While this certainly isn't standard of care, there's no reason that we can't ask about symptoms of hypogonadism as a link w/diabetes has been demonstrated in the past. And other studies have demonstrated improvement in hypogonadal symptoms as a result of treatment. But as always, keep a close eye on your patients. And remember that this isn't a DIY project.Tweet
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