Testosterone Therapy for Prevention and Treatment of Obesity in Men

Abstract

Testosterone deficiency (TD) is common in men with obesity. The association between TD and obesity is bidirectional; low testosterone (T) is a contributing cause to obesity, and obesity is a contributing cause to low T, creating a vicious circle. Most guidelines recommend weight loss by diet/exercise as the first point of intervention to stop this vicious cycle. However, it requires a large amount of weight loss that is maintained over time. In clinical practice, this is rarely achieved by lifestyle interventions. Bariatric surgery is currently the main obesity treatment modality that results in a large amount of weight loss with decent weight loss maintenance. However, bariatric surgery is an invasive and expensive procedure, with risk for complications. Considering the high prevalence of TD in men with obesity, a more practical and sustainable obesity treatment for men is testosterone therapy (TTh). Thanks to the metabolic effects of T, TTh results in more fat loss and preservation of fatfree mass, compared with diet/exercise interventions alone. In contrast to weight loss achieved by diet/exercise and bariatric surgery, TTh significantly preserves both muscle and bone mass. Further, TTh has psychological effects that may increase the motivation and ability of men to adhere to diet/exercise programs. Real-world evidence studies of long-term TTh for up to 11 years provide compelling evidence that TTh holds tremendous potential as a new treatment modality for obesity in men, with long-term weight loss maintenance and health benefits far exceeding those achieved by lifestyle interventions, approved obesity drugs, as well as bariatric surgery.

The dichotomy between health and drug abuse in bodybuilding

“…The benefits of TRT, when natural production is low, will improve a myriad of health markers, such as bone density, sexual function, depression and muscle mass, and it may also help prevent cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome (Bassil et al, 2009; Bhasin, 2021). This hormonal therapy can even play a role in reducing body fat in subcutaneous and visceral fat deposition compartments (Caliber & Saad, 2020; Corona et al, 2016a; Woodhouse et al, 2004). Therefore, there is a strong connection between testosterone and health.…”

Text Mining of the People’s Pharmacy Radio Show Transcripts Can Identify Novel Drug Repurposing Hypotheses

“…Two examples of COPs elucidated by using ROBOKOP are presented below and illustrated by Figures 5 and 6. Testosterone (T) deficiency has been linked to male obesity in a bidirectional manner, with obesity contributing to low T, and low T likewise contributing to obesity [28]. T decreases the expression of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARG) in ovarian granulosa cells [29].…”

Testosterone deficiency, the unrecognised consequence of the opioid epidemic in men

“…The association between decreased testosterone, obesity and metabolic syndrome is bidirectional and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. 26…”