Endocrine Abstracts

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of subclinical late-onset hypogonadism (SLOH) and erectile dysfunctions in the elderly men with diabetes type 2.

Material and methods: We investigated 51 men mean aged 68.3 years with diabetes type 2 according ADA recommendations. Androgens concentrations, BMI, HbA1C were measured. All of men were treated with oral antidiabetic drugs or insulin. LOH was expected on the basis of low testosterone concentration (≤3.5 μg/l) and the index T/LH≤1, while erectile dysfunctions were expected according IIEF score.

Results: The mean duration of diabetes was 18.4 years. The mean testosterone concentration was 4.09±1.4 ng/ml and the mean T/LH index was 0.82±0.29. Seventy-five percent of men presented the criteria of SLOH according the T/LH index but only 44% had testosterone levels below 3.5 ng/ml. About 65% patients had IIEF score below 16 points. There was inverted correlation between the T/LH index and duration of diabetes, BMI and age (P<0.02). The mean DHEA-S levels also negative correlated with duration of diabetes and age (P<0.05), but not with BMI. There was also inverted correlations between testosterone levels and T/LH index and IIEF score (P<0.005 and P<0.002 respectively).

Conclusions: In elderly men with diabetes mellitus 2 the prevalence of SLOH is about 75%, while ED is about 65% and were more common than in population of elderly men without diabetes. The T/LH index was more sensitive in these men as the criteria of diagnosis of SLOH and ED than total testosterone concentrations. In all the patients with diabetes mellitus the possibility of SLOH and ED should be investigated. In the other hand, elderly men with SLOH also must be screening to exclude the symptoms of diabetes and erectile dysfucntions.