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Testosterone and metabolic syndrome: a meta-analysis study

Corona G, Monami M, Rastrelli G, Aversa A, Tishova Y, Saad F, Lenzi A, Forti G et al.

The journal of sexual medicine, 2011

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is often associated with male hypogonadism. Despite the well-known link, the role of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in MetS has not been completely clarified.

AIM: To systematically analyse the relationship between androgen levels and MetS we performed a review and meta-analyses of available prospective and cross-sectional studies. In addition, a specific meta-analysis on the metabolic effects of TRT in available randomized clinical trials (RCTs) was also performed.

METHODS: An extensive Medline search was performed including the following words "testosterone,""metabolic syndrome," and "males".

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Out of 323 retrieved articles, 302 articles were excluded for different reasons. Among the 20 published studies included, 13, 3, and 4 were cross-sectional, longitudinal, and RCTs, respectively. Another unpublished RCT was retrieved on http://www.clinicaltrials.gov.

RESULTS: MetS patients showed significantly lower T plasma levels, as compared with healthy individuals. Similar results were obtained when MetS subjects with and without erectile dysfunction were analyzed separately or when NCEP-ATPIII MetS criteria were compared with other definitions. Meta-regression analysis demonstrated that type 2 diabetes (T2DM) increased the MetS-associated T fall. In a multiple regression model, after adjusting for age and BMI, both T2DM and MetS independently predicted low testosterone (adj. r = -0.752; P < 0.001 and -0.271; P…

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