Men with Diabetes are twice as likely to have low testosterone than healthy men. That’s quite a staggering statistic for Low Testosterone and Diabetes!
Now let’s look at it the other way round.
Men with clinically tested low testosterone are more likely to develop type II Diabetes.
The jury is still out on whether low testosterone causes Diabetes or Diabetes causes low testosterone but both are definitely linked.
Here’s what we do know about the link between Low Testosterone and Diabetes:
When you have type II Diabetes it means that your body fails to produce enough insulin to deal with glucose and sugar in the blood or the insulin that is produced is ineffective at doing this. This causes the sugar to remain in the blood where it builds up instead of being absorbed into the body by the body’s cells.
Testosterone is needed to help the body respond to insulin. It encourages the tissue in the body to respond to the insulin and take up more blood sugar when needed. This means that the body insulin better and the body uses the blood sugar as it should do.
Low testosterone levels mean that the insulin function is not as effective as it should be. The result is called insulin resistance or reduced insulin sensitivity. Insulin in the body is meant to control and break down glucose and blood sugar levels but insulin resistance means that you are unable to do this.
Men with low testosterone and/or Diabetes therefore have a common problem: insulin resistance. This then leads the body to produce more insulin to help control blood sugar levels and make up for the non-functioning insulin.
So, the main link between Low Testosterone and Diabetes is insulin resistance and high blood sugar levels.
Leading an unhealthy and inactive lifestyle leads to higher blood sugar levels and often contributes to the onset of Low Testosterone and Diabetes in men. Could this be the reason why they go hand in hand?
Men with low testosterone or Diabetes are always advised to change their lifestyle habits by getting more exercise, eating a healthier, less fatty and less sugary diet as well as seeking medical intervention. It helps the success of the treatment and can even help improve symptoms. If this is true, can leading a healthy lifestyle like this reduce your risk of getting Low Testosterone and Diabetes in the first place? In the case of type II Diabetes: absolutely. In the case of low testosterone: very likely.
Taking care of your future:
Whatever the link is, Low Testosterone & Diabetes can lead to further medical complications including heart disease. If you have low testosterone then we advise checking your insulin and blood sugar levels with your doctor to evaluate your risk of getting type II Diabetes. It’s better to do this now and do something about this rather than wait for symptoms to progress. This also goes for men with Diabetes who may have low testosterone levels. Living with low testosterone or Diabetes and not seeking an active treatment plan can greatly impact the quality of your life now and in the future.
How can testosterone therapy help men with Diabetes?
Using testosterone therapy helps to increase testosterone levels in the body which then helps insulin in the body deal with blood sugar levels. More research is needed but some doctors are already prescribing some type II Diabetes sufferer’s testosterone therapies to see if it can help them manage their Diabetes long term. Along with a change in diet and exercise regime, using testosterone therapy has the option to reduce the risk of complications associated with type II Diabetes in the long term.
We’ll be interested to see some more studies on this debate and will update you once we have more information! In the mean time, here’s more information.
