Could Giving Men a Testosterone Boost Prevent Diabetes?

A new study has started in Australia which is the first, worldwide, to improve the wellness of men by giving them testosterone. The $4.8 million study’s researchers hope that the hormone will help men to lose weight and prevent diabetes.

 

According to the leader of the study, Professor Gary Wittert from the University of Adelaide’s School of Medicine, ‘We know that as men get older and gain weight – especially when they become large around the belly – they often suffer from reduced testosterone levels. Lower testosterone has many implications for men’s health, such as reduced motivation to exercise and lack of sexual function. It is also closely associated with type 2 diabetes, which is an enormous health burden for Australia.’

 

In the States of South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia, up to 1500 Australian men, aged 50-74, and whose wellbeing is the most at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, are being recruited to join the study, whereby researchers will assess the potential benefits of treating men with testosterone supplements alongside a dedicated Weight Watchers weight-loss programme. Wittert explained, ‘By giving testosterone supplements to men in that critical pre-diabetes stage, and by putting them on a dedicated weight-loss programme, we expect to see sustained reductions in weight and a reduced chance to develop type 2 diabetes.’

 

When the men sign up for the study, which is known as T4DM (Testosterone 4 the prevention of Diabetes Mellitus) and funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), they will be given complimentary access to Weight Watchers and will be able to follow the programme either by attending meetings or online. This may be ideal for men who prefer not to attend a weight loss group.

 

It is Professor Wittert’s hope that the study, which will be conducted over at least two years of the participants’ lives, will provide a range of other health benefits for those who take part in it. He concluded by saying, ‘Our hope is that this study will be a life-changing event for many men in Australia. Older men who have developed a large belly and are at risk of diabetes now have an opportunity to do something about their weight, improve their lives, and provide us with all-important research results that could benefit many others in the future.’

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