Sulfonylurea Rx ups testosterone levels in men with T2DM

(HealthDay)—For middle-aged men with type 2 diabetes, sulfonylurea treatment is associated with improvements in total testosterone levels and testosterone secretion index values, according to a study published online Dec. 15 in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation.

Long Wong, from Guangdong General Hospital in Guangzhou, China, and colleagues examined the effect of sulfonylurea-based oral antidiabetic agents on testosterone levels. Data were collected for 15 middle-aged men with type 2 diabetes from the phase IV clinical trial of glimepiride, as well as 15 healthy age- and body mass index-matched male subjects.

The researchers observed significantly reduced total testosterone levels and a lower testosterone secretion index among men with type 2 diabetes compared with the healthy control group. After 16 weeks of treatment there were significant improvements in blood glucose and lipid profile levels, with no significant differences in body weight and waist circumference compared with baseline values. There were no significant differences in recorded changes in luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, and sex hormone binding globulin levels. There were significant increases in total testosterone levels; testosterone secretion index values were significantly elevated compared with baseline.

“It is highly possible that sulfonylurea as an initial treatment can recover the decreased total serum testosterone levels and testosterone secretion index values in middle-aged men with type 2 diabetes,” the authors write.

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