Men with testosterone levels in the low-normal range appear to be more likely to develop diabetes than those with higher levels, according to a national study.

 

Senior study author Elizabeth A. Platz, SCD, MPH, and colleagues’ analyzed data on 1,413 men age 20 and older. Men in the lowest tertile of free testosterone were four times more likely to have prevalent diabetes when compared with men in the highest tertile.

 

The association of low free testosterone persisted even after men with clinically low total and/or free testosterone levels were excluded, suggesting that the findings were not entirely driven by hypogonadal men. After accounting for the effect of obesity, low testosterone levels still appeared to be an important risk factor for diabetes. The study team concluded that androgens may directly influence glucose metabolism and the development of insulin resistance.

 

The study group reported that low testosterone is a common finding among men with diabetes and may lead to other clinical problems.