A new study has found that weight loss can boost low testosterone levels in middle-aged men with prediabetes by more than fifty percent. Involved in this study were close to 900 middle-aged men with prediabetes who participated in the Diabetes Prevention Program. The program, which was completed in the U.S., concluded that people at a high risk for Type 2 diabetes could delay or deter developing the disease through weight loss.
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- The metformin group – 305 received the diabetes drug metformin
- The new lifestyle group – 293 engaged in lifestyle modifications. They took part in 150 minutes of exercise each week, and ate a low-fat, low-calorie diet
- The placebo group – 293 received inactive placebo pills.
- New lifestyle group – low testosterone levels decreased from 20 percent to 11 percent of all men
- The metformin group – low testosterone levels dropped from 24.8% to 23.8%
- The placebo group – low testosterone levels dropped from 25.6% to 24.6%
“Losing weight not only reduces the risk of prediabetic men progressing to diabetes but also appears to increase the body’s production of testosterone.”
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- Higher than normal blood sugar levels. The American Diabetes Association recommends HbA1c testing as one basis for identifying diabetes and prediabetes. (Link to article)
- Acanthosis nigricans – darkened areas of skin, especially the knuckles, knees, elbows, armpits and neck
- Fatigue
- Being very overweight
- Urinating more frequently (this could be a sign of diabetes type 2)
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