Clinicopathologic assessment of hypogonadism in men with type 2 diabetes mellitus

To determine the prevalence of hypogonadism in men with type 2 diabetes mellitus and evaluate its clinical and pathologic correlates.

In a cross-sectional survey of 200 type 2 diabetic males aged 32-69 years, total testosterone (TT), follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, waist circumference (WC), glycated hemoglobin, and lipids were measured. Clinical assessment of androgen deficiency was done using the androgen deficiency in aging male (ADAM) questionnaire. Overt hypogonadism was defined as a combination of positive ADAM score and TT < 8 nmol/L while possible hypogonadism was defined as positive ADAM score with TT 8-12 nmol/L.

Overt and possible hypogonadism occurred in 29.5% and 23% of the participants, respectively. Majority (76.3%) of the subjects who had overt hypogonadism had the hypogonadotrophic pattern. Hypogonadal subjects were significantly older (P = 0.014) and had higher mean WC (P = 0.009) than eugonadal ones. Erectile dysfunction was the most common symptom, occurring in 79.7% of overtly hypogonadal subjects. There was a significant negative correlation between WC and serum TT (r = -0.41, P = 0.001).

There is a high frequency of symptomatic hypogonadism in men with type 2 diabetes and the frequency increases with advancing age and visceral adiposity.