Correlation of hypothyroidism and androgen deficiency in men of different periods of mature age

Abstract

Background. Combination of thyroid pathology with ыage-related androgen deficiency in men leads to the decline of sexual and reproductive functions, worsening the quality of life. The purpose was to reveal the features of correlation between the thyroid hypofunction and androgen deficiency in men in the first and second periods of mature age. Materials and methods. The study included 60 men with primary hypothyroidism aged 21 to 60 years. The enrollment of men for the examination was conducted during outpatient visits and hospital treatment in the endocrinology department of the University hospital of Ternopil. Results. In men of the first period of mature age, the incidence of hypogonadism was 22.2 %, including in men without hypothyroidism — 8.0 %, and with hypothyroidism — 40.0 %. In men with hypothyroidism, the incidence of androgen deficiency and its clinical signs was 5 times higher than that of patients without hypothyroidism. The presence of hypothyroidism in men of the second period of mature age is associated with androgen deficiency in 70 % cases, but, as compared to the men of the first period of mature age, the clinical signs of androgen deficiency are more severe in the second period. Conclusions. The presence of hypothyroidism erases the age-related differences in the content of total and free testosterone in the blood of men; the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone has the most significant negative effect on testosterone level in men of the first period of mature age.

Keywords

• hypothyroidism
• androgen deficiency