Effects of Testosterone Replacement Therapy on Glycolipid Metabolism Among Hypogonadal Men withT2DM: A Meta-Analysis And System Review Of Randomized Controlled Trials.

INTRODUCTION

Testosterone can improve glucose metabolism through multiple cellular mechanisms. However, it remains unclear as to whether hypogonadal men with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) can benefit from testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).

AIMS

To assess the relative effect of TRT on glycolipid metabolism among hypogonadal men with T2DM.

METHODS

Electronic literature searches of the Cochrane Library, PubMed, MEDLINE, and EMBASE databases were conducted, up to the end of October 2020. Only studies that used randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included in our systematic review. Main outcome measures From these studies, we extracted certain outcomes including changes in insulin resistance, glucose metabolism, and lipid parameters.

RESULTS

There were a total of 8 studies that met our criteria. Four of these studies either did not have a consistent treatment strategy, or the control groups used untreated patients rather than patients that had been given a placebo. Thus, results from these four studies contributed to the variability in treatment outcomes. In four of the examined RCTs, there was no change in either the dose or the type of antidiabetic medication prescribed. Based on the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, the pooled WMD was -0.34, 95% confidence interval (CI; -1.02, 0.34), P = .33; For fasting plasma glucose, the pooled WMD was -0.27, 95% CI (-1.02, 0.48), P = .48, the pooled WMD for HbA1c% was -0.00, 95% CI (-1.08, 1.08), P = 1.00.

CONCLUSIONS

Although certain RCTs showed that TRT improved insulin resistance and glycolipid metabolism when compared with the placebo or untreated control groups, these findings may partly be due to changes in antidiabetic therapy during the course of the study. In the current meta-analysis, analyses showed that TRT did not significantly improve insulin resistance or glycolipid metabolism. Future studies need to be rigorous in design and delivery, and comprehensive descriptions of all aspects of their methods should be included to further enable a more accurate appraisal and interpretation of the results. Yu X, Wei Z, Liu Y, et al. Effects of Testosterone Replacement Therapy on Glycolipid Metabolism Among Hypogonadal Men with T2DM: A Meta-Analysis And System Review Of Randomized Controlled Trials. Sex Med 2021;9:100403.