MORE On LOW Testosterone Levels in Type 2 Diabetic Men /Premature Death?

I have been doing some research on Testosterone levels in Men as they age, especially Type 2 Diabetics and have come across some interesting data. In Science Daily (4/14/2011) an article concerning low levels of testosterone in Type 2 Diabetic men may have resulted in those men dying sooner than they would have if they had been given testosterone therapy. These findings were presented April 13, 2011 at the Society For Endocrinology in Birmingham by Professor Hugh Jones. Jone's study consisted of a SIX year study involving 587 men with type 2 diabetes split into (3) separate groups:

• Those with normal testosterone (above 10.4 nmol/L , n=338)
• Those with LOW testosterone levels below 10.4 nmol/L that were NOT treated with testosterone therapy (n=182)
• Those with LOW testosterone levels that WERE treated with testosterone therapy for two years or more during the follow up period (n=58)

The study showed for the FIRST time that type 2 diabetic men were at risk of dying earlier if they had LOW testosterone levels and were left Untreated . 36 of 182 men in the study with LOW testosterone died during the 6 year study, compared to 31 of 338 men with normal levels of testosterone. That is 20% (vs.) 9% or a significant difference.

ONLY 5 of the 58 men given testosterone therapy during the study died, or 8.6% compared to the 20% who had low levels of testosterone and NO treatment.

These are significant figures and I would suggest if you are a type 2 Diabetic man, that you have your doctor run a testosterone level test along with your A1C testing and blood lipid profile tests at least once a year especially if you experience any of the telltale signs of low testosterone.

LINK to testosterone and type 2 Diabetes

EXCERPT:

In another study, also presented at this year's Society for Endocrinology meeting, Professor Jones' group found for the first time that low testosterone and severity of erectile dysfunction are independently associated with a reduced health-related quality of life in men with type 2 diabetes. Health-related quality of life questionnaires, such as the one used in this study, measure how a person perceives their own general health in areas such as physical and social functioning, vitality and pain. The questionnaire does not measure how good a person's health actually is; it measures how good a person thinks their health is in daily life.
In the 356 men with type 2 diabetes tested, health related quality of life decreased as testosterone levels decreased (r=0.353 p=0.044). In the 126 patients who were also assessed for erectile dysfunction, health-related quality of life decreased in the areas including physical functioning (r=0.5, p=0.003), social functioning (r=0.445, p=0.022) vitality (r=0.383, p=0.025) and pain (r=0.428, p=0.012) as the severity of erectile dysfunction increased. Although severity of erectile dysfunction has been shown to be associated with lower testosterone levels, statistical analysis shows for the first time that these are both independently associated with a reduced health-related quality of life in these men.
Lead researcher Prof Hugh Jones said: "Our research shows that low testosterone impacts on health-related quality of life in men with type 2 diabetes. This finding supports previous evidence suggesting that erectile dysfunction is a marker of ill health.
"Our next step is to assess whether offering testosterone replacement therapy to diabetic men with testosterone deficiency and erectile dysfunction may help to improve their health related quality of life."

PLEASE do NOT play doctor and just decide to buy supplements, creams or gels and just boost the Ole Testosterone up a few notches and take the attitude if a little testosterone is GOOD, then a LOT should be better. There are dangerous side effects and this should not be undertaken without the medical tests run first by a qualified doctor and then therapy prescribed by a doctor or medical team.

Here is a final link for this post on the PROS and CONS in general on testosterone therapy. DO YOUR HOMEWORK FIRST, then have the tests run and then discuss the results with a qualified medical examiner and your diabetes doctor.

LINK to General Info On Testosterone:

Dan

Psalm 34:19
Many are the afflictions of the righteous:
but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.

Isaiah 53:5
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities:
the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.