Some men with a deficit of sex hormones who take testosterone replacement therapy may experience a benefit that goes beyond improved sexual function.

When men have both hypogonadism and poorly controlled type 2 diabetes, testosterone replacement therapy may improve both sexual function and cognitive function, according to preliminary results of a small clinical trial presented at the Endocrine Societys annual meeting in Atlanta.

The findings are welcome news to men with diabetes and hypogonadism, since they often have a poor quality of life, said the lead study author, Preethi Mohan Rao, MD, of the University of Sheffield, England, in a statement.

Hypogonadism in men, often called low T, develops when the body doesnt produce enough testosterone. While men can be born with the condition, it can also develop later in life and cause symptoms like reduced sex drive, erectile dysfunction, depression, and difficulty concentrating, according to the Mayo Clinic. Not all men with hypogonadism have symptoms, and testosterone replacement therapy is recommended only when they do, according to the Endocrine Society.

Sexual dysfunction is a common symptom of both hypogonadism and type 2 diabetes. Men with type 2 diabetes have about twice the risk of low testosterone, according to the American Diabetes Association. Men with poorly controlled diabetes or obesity, or both, have an even greater risk of low testosterone.

For the new clinical trial, researchers randomly assigned 65 men with hypogonadism and poorly controlled type 2 diabetes to take either placebo shots or injections of testosterone replacement therapy every 12 weeks for six months. Then researchers extended the trial for an additional six months, continuing treatment for men on testosterone and starting testosterone for men in the placebo group.

Over the first six months of the trial, men who took testosterone experienced significantly bigger improvements in quality of life and a larger reduction in symptoms associated with low testosterone.

When these men continued testosterone for an additional six months, they experienced overall symptom improvements as well as increased sexual function and libido, the trial found. In addition, these men performed significantly better on delayed verbal recall tests, assessments done to detect early signs of dementia.

The trial was small, however, and more research is needed before health practitioners change treatment approaches for men with hypogonadism and type 2 diabetes.

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Testosterone May Aid Memory in Men With Uncontrolled Diabetes - Everyday Health

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