Last Updated on May 4, 2024
What is the connection between testosterone and diabetes? A recent study conducted by Diabetes Care has shown that testosterone treatment can positively impact men with type 2 diabetes and low testosterone. Researchers at the University of Buffalo completed the study basing it off research they have previously done. The University of Buffalo has already completed a study in 2004 that confirms a correlation between decreased sensitivity to insulin and low testosterone levels.
The study was conducted over a 24-week period. This study was conducted using 94 type 2 diabetic men, 44 of the men had low testosterone levels while the other 50 had regular levels. The men were separated into two groups and randomly selected to receive a testosterone injection or a placebo injection every week.
The study showed that men with low testosterone levels had drastically lower insulin sensitivity than men with normal testosterone levels. When given a dose of insulin, the lower testosterone patients had a 36% decrease in the rate that glucose was used by tissues. The men that received the testosterone injected had a 31% increase in insulin sensitivity.
The researchers from the study did note that the patients’ A1C did not lower; they suggest that it would if the study were over a longer period. The fasting glucose levels did lower by 12 milligrams per deciliter. The men that received the testosterone treatments lost an average of six pounds of body fat but increased muscle mass.
The results of this study will have a significant impact on diabetes, especially in males. Injecting men with testosterone could greatly increase their insulin sensitivity, which will lead to less insulin required and better diabetes management. Recent data shows that around 1 in 4 men over the age of 30 has low testosterone levels, which means that many male diabetics have low testosterone levels.
While there is no clear explanation, one reason that researchers believe is that testosterone is anti-inflammatory. “We hypothesized that testosterone may be an anti-inflammatory and insulin-sensitizing agent since it has been known for some time that testosterone reduces adiposity and increases skeletal muscle,” explained Paresh Dandona, MD, PhD, the senior author of the paper and chief endocrinology in the Department of Medicine at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at University of Buffalo. Another research project on the subject has shown that inflammation hinders insulin signaling in the body.
For any male that may need testosterone injections, they will not only help your diabetes control, but also sexual function, and improve skeletal strength and bone density. Testosterone could come with several minor to mild side effects: nausea, difficult urinating, shortness of breath, chest pain, swelling in your feet, liver problems, or some other unusual side effects. A key benefit of being able to keep your diabetes under control is that it will make it much easier for you to be able to qualify for diabetic life insurance!
There are several symptoms for low testosterone: low libido, depressed mood, low energy, osteoporosis, and erectile dysfunction. If you are a diabetic, and you’re experiencing one or more of these symptoms, schedule an appointment with your primary care physician. If you’re experiencing these symptoms, your doctor might have blood testing done to confirm your low testosterone. Because testosterone fluctuates throughout the day, morning is the best time to test.
If you do have low testosterone, there are several treatments to choose from. While the study from the University of Buffalo used testosterone injection, options like skin gel, and skin patches are also available.
