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Cross‐Sectional, Primary Care–Based Study of the Prevalence of Hypoandrogenemia in Nondiabetic Young Men with Obesity
Author(s) -
MolinaVega María,
AsenjoPlaza Maite,
GarcíaRuiz María Concepción,
VareaMarineto Enrique,
CasalNievas Nieves,
ÁlvarezMillán Juan J.,
CabezasSanchez Pablo,
CardonaDíaz Fernando,
QueipoOrtuño María Isabel,
CastellanoCastillo Daniel,
Tinahones Francisco J.,
FernándezGarcía José C.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
obesity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.438
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1930-739X
pISSN - 1930-7381
DOI - 10.1002/oby.22579
Subject(s) - medicine , obesity , body mass index , population , cross sectional study , testosterone (patch) , endocrinology , insulin resistance , sex hormone binding globulin , cohort , physiology , hormone , androgen , environmental health , pathology
Objective Obesity‐associated hypoandrogenemia is increasing in parallel to the obesity epidemic. The prevalence of hypoandrogenemia in nondiabetic young men with obesity is not known. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of hypoandrogenemia and associated risk factors in this population. Methods This cross‐sectional study included 266 nondiabetic men < 50 years of age with obesity who were referred from primary care. Total testosterone (high‐performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry), sex hormone–binding globulin, free testosterone (FT), luteinizing hormone (LH), high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein, and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance were determined. Body composition and erectile function were also assessed. Hypoandrogenemia was defined as FT level < 70 pg/mL. Results Subnormal FT concentrations were found in 25.6% of participants. Hypoandrogenemia prevalence was different along the BMI continuum, being > 75% in individuals with BMI ≥ 50 kg/m 2 . A multivariate regression analysis indicated that increasing BMI ( P < 0.001), age ( P = 0.049), and reduced LH levels ( P = 0.003) were independent risk factors for hypoandrogenemia. Conclusions In a primary care–based cohort of nondiabetic young men with obesity, hypoandrogenemia was a very prevalent finding and was directly associated with adiposity. Obesity, age, and reduced LH levels were independent risk factors associated with hypoandrogenemia. Further prospective studies are needed to evaluate the long‐term consequences of hypoandrogenemia in this population.