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Low testosterone may be linked to metabolic syndrome

Category: Hormones and Metabolism

Testosterone blood tests may benefit men who suffer from metabolic syndrome, as a new study has found that men with low levels of the hormone experience improved metabolic health when they receive testosterone supplements.

Metabolic syndrome is a collection of conditions including abdominal obesity, unhealthy cholesterol, high blood pressure and poorly regulated blood sugar. It is a primary cause in many cases of heart disease and diabetes.

For the present study, a team of researchers assessed the effect of testosterone supplementation in 147 hypogonadal men, MedPage today reports. The results of the two-year study showed that these individuals experienced improvements in many of the symptoms of metabolic syndrome.

"The long-term data are intriguing and the magnitude of changes came as a surprise, even to many experts who have been working with testosterone for decades," Dr. Farid Saad, the Bayer Shering Pharma researcher who led the study, told the news source.

A recent study published in the journal Aging Male estimated that about 20 percent of all men over age 50 have low testosterone levels. This may help explain why so many individuals also suffer from metabolic syndrome.