Prevalence of subnormal testosterone concentrations in men with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease

One-third of men with type 2 diabetes have subnormal testosterone concentrations along with inappropriately normal LH and FSH concentrations. It is not known if the presence of renal insufficiency affects free testosterone concentrations in men with type 2 diabetes.

We hypothesized that type 2 diabetic men with chronic renal disease (CKD; estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 ml/min per 1.73 m(2)) have lower free testosterone concentrations than men with normal renal function (eGFR ≥ 60 ml/min per 1.73 m(2)).

This is a retrospective chart review of patients attending diabetes and nephrology clinics. Men with type 2 diabetes who had the following information available were included in the study: testosterone (total and free) done by LC/MS-MS followed by equilibrium dialysis, sex hormone binding globulin, LH, FSH and prolactin concentrations.

We present data on T and gonadotropin concentrations in 111 men with type 2 diabetes and CKD (stages 3-5) and 182 type 2 diabetic men without CKD.

The prevalence of subnormal free testosterone concentrations was higher in men with type 2 diabetes and CKD as compared to those without CKD (66% vs 37%, P < 0.001). Men with CKD had a higher prevalence of hypergonadotropic hypogonadism (26% vs 5%, P < 0.001) but not of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH; 40% vs 32%, P = 0.22). There was an increase in the prevalence of hypergonadotropic hypogonadism with decreasing eGFR. Fifty-two percent of men with renal failure (CKD stage 5) had hypergonadotropic hypogonadism and 25% had HH. In men with CKD, the hemoglobin concentrations were lower in those with subnormal free T concentrations as compared to men with normal free T concentrations (119 ± 19 vs 128 ± 19 g/l, P = 0.04).

Two-thirds of men with type 2 diabetes and CKD have subnormal free T concentrations. The hypogonadism associated with CKD is predominantly hypergonadotropic.