Serum Testosterone Associated With The Metabolic Syndrome

UroToday.com – At the recent annual meeting of the American Urological Association, Dr. Steven Kaplan of New York added to the accumulating evidence that serum testosterone (T) is associated with the Metabolic Syndrome (METS).

He reviewed 864 men (mean age 52 years) participating in 2 lipid treatment studies and observed that aging men with obesity and METS (including diabetes) have a clinically significant decrease in total T levels. The median T for obese aging men with METS was 150 ng/dl less than lean aging men who do not have METS. Further almost 70% of obese aging males with METS have serum T levels less than 400 ng/dl. Dr. Kaplan concluded that ED in diabetic obese men probably involved a hypoandrogenic component.

Editor’s note: Urologist assessing and treating ED patients need to become familiar with metabolic syndrome (central obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes); these patients are not only at risk for erectile dysfunction but have significantly higher risk of symptomatic coronary heart disease. Patients presenting to our practices with metabolic syndrome should be referred to internists, endocrinologists or diabetologists. There is the very real probability that these men will suffer symptomatic coronary artery disease and the presentation with ED may be a life saver if it leads to a thorough cardiovascular evaluation and subsequent risk reduction through exercise, diet and medical management. What remains to be determined is the role of testosterone in pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome and its potential efficacy in treatment.

AUA 2006 – Abstract #692

Reviewed by UroToday.com Contributing Editor Joel Kaufman, MD

UroToday – the only urology website with original content written by global urology key opinion leaders actively engaged in clinical practice.

To access the latest urology news releases from UroToday, go to:
www.urotoday.com

Copyright © 2006 – UroToday