Diabetes and low testosterone go hand-in-hand: One in three diabetic men have low testosterone. But one potential cause of diabetes is low testosterone. So which came first, testosterone deficiency or diabetes?
A study published in Diabetes Care may answer that question. Finnish researchers measured levels of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and testosterone in 702 middle-aged men who had no blood sugar problems, and then reexamined them after 11 years.
At the time of follow-up, 147 had developed metabolic syndrome (a combination of conditions that increases risk for heart disease) and 57 had diabetes. Most important, the men with the lowest testosterone levels were nearly two and a half times more likely to have developed diabetes or metabolic syndrome.
Diabetes and low testosterone go hand-in-hand: One in three diabetic men have low testosterone. But one potential cause of diabetes is low testosterone. So which came first, testosterone deficiency or diabetes?
A study published in Diabetes Care may answer that question. Finnish researchers measured levels of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and testosterone in 702 middle-aged men who had no blood sugar problems, and then reexamined them after 11 years.
At the time of follow-up, 147 had developed metabolic syndrome (a combination of conditions that increases risk for heart disease) and 57 had diabetes. Most important, the men with the lowest testosterone levels were nearly two and a half times more likely to have developed diabetes or metabolic syndrome.
