Endocrine Abstracts

Male hypogonadism is generally associated with overweight or obesity and, in these situations androgen therapy partially, or totally, reverses the excess adiposity. However, the opposing situation, i.e., the role of overweight on a reduction of gonadal function has been scarcely studied. In fact, changes in body morphology are complex because several factors such as age, social and lifestyle influences, and the physiological response to stress can affect both problems, adiposity excess and gonadal function. At the end both factors will mutually interact. In a previous work, we have observed that obesity and overweight per se, exert a profound effect on male gonadal function in community dwelling individuals of middle-aged and elderly men. The situation of advanced age provides a good model because the age-associated decline in testosterone function is well described. Furthermore, the progressive reduction in gonadal function associated with aging vanishes if obese and overweight individuals are separated from the group. However, socioeconomic status, as well as lifestyle factors, has been demonstrated as causal factors in the development of obesity and increased waist circumference, and these factors, are at the same time inducers of gonadal dysfunction, acting at central level. Considerable more work is needed in order to clarify the interacting network of factors and, to understand if intervention to counteract one of them may provide a focus for health promotion and prevention, mostly at advanced ages.