In view of association of diabetes mellitus and male infertility, present study was designed to investigate the functional status of hypothalamic pituitary gonadal (HPG) axis in diabetic men. Thirty-five diabetic men (BMI 22.24±0.21) in the age group 20-40 (30.6±4.7) years were selected. Twenty-five healthy men (BMI 23.85±0.25), in the same age group (29.5±4.8) served as control. Blood samples were collected for hormonal and biochemical estimations. Diabetic men had significantly low serum testosterone with low LH and FSH, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hypoalbuminemia and increased oxidative stress. Low serum testosterone in diabetic men was accompanied by low LH and FSH; the inability of the pituitary gland to respond appropriately to a decline in testosterone implying central effect of high serum glucose on the interaction between the nervous and endocrine system. Nutritional deficiency, increased oxidative stress and increased aromatase activity due to excessive body fat might have also contributed to low serum testosterone.

Despite the widespread use of hormone replacement therapy, various reports on its side effects have generated an increasing interest in the development of safe natural agents for the management of postmenopausal discomforts. The present randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study investigated the effect of 90-day supplementation of a standardized extract of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) (FenuSMART™), at a dose of 1000 mg/day, on plasma estrogens and postmenopausal discomforts. Eighty-eight women having moderate to severe postmenopausal discomforts and poor quality of life (as evidenced from the scores of Greene Climacteric Scale, short form SF-36® and structured medical interview) were randomized either to extract-treated (n = 44) or placebo (n = 44) groups. There was a significant (p < 0.01) increase in plasma estradiol (120%) and improvements on various postmenopausal discomforts and quality of life of the participants in the extract-treated group, as compared with the baseline and placebo. While 32% of the subjects in the extract group reported no hot flashes after supplementation, the others had a reduction to one to two times per day from the baseline stages of three to five times a day. Further analysis of haematological and biochemical parameters revealed the safety of the extract and its plausible role in the management of lipid profile among menopausal women. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.