Risk Factors
Metabolic Syndrome
Low level of testosterone, also known as hypogonadism in medical science, affects men in different ways depending on their age. The consequences of low testosterone include decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, osteoporosis, and reduced pubic hair.
The role of testosterone in the pathogenesis of the metabolic syndrome and diabetes is not well understood yet. However, studies reveal that in men, low level of testosterone is associated with features of the metabolic syndrome. Some of the common symptoms of metabolic syndrome include insulin resistance, hypertension, cholesterol abnormalities, and an increased risk of clotting. Patients with metabolic syndrome are more often overweight or obese.
The Metabolic Syndrome - A New World Wide Definition: IDF Consensus Group, Berlin 2005
- Central obesity: waist circumference in Europids: ≥ 94cm, Asias: > 90cm
Plus any 2 of the following: - Raised triglycerides: ≥ 1.7 mmol/L (150 mg/dL)
- Reduced HDL Cholesterol < 1.03 mmol/L (40 mg/dL)
- Raised blood pressure:
systolic ≥ 130 mm Hg, disatolic ≥ 85 mm Hg (or treatment) - Raised fasting plasma glucose: ≥ 5.6 mmol/L (or previously diagnosed type 2 diabetes
