Diabetes causes drop in testosterone

U. BUFFALO (US)—The effect of diabetes on lowering testosterone levels is similar to a weight gain of 20 pounds, according to new research that finds 40 percent of obese men have below-normal testosterone levels.

“In view of the fact that almost one-third of the U.S. is obese, these observations have profound pathophysiological, clinical, epidemiological, and public health implications,” says Sandeep Dhindsa, an endocrinology specialist at the University at Buffalo and first author of the study published in the journal Diabetes Care.