Choice of method of diagnosis hypogonadism in obesity and metabolic syndrome in men

Abstract

Nowadays, obesity and metabolic syndrome are considered as symptoms of male hypogonadism, which underlines the need for hormonal screening in these patients. However, remain unsolved some questions of laboratory diagnostics testosterone deficiency. In particular, there are contradictions in the choice of research method of free testosterone. The objectives of our work was to conduct a comparative evaluation of methods for studying androgen status of young and middle-aged men with obesity and metabolic syndrome, and determining the relationship between hormonal indicators and metabolic profile, blood pressure, anthropometric characteristics of obesity. The study included 51 patients with symptoms of obesity and metabolic syndrome, aged from 20 to 50 years, the control group consisted of 19 equal-age men with normal body weight. A significant decrease in total testosterone in men with metabolic syndrome was revealed. The dependence of the concentration of total testosterone with age and content sex-steroid-binding globulin was found. The role of free testosterone in the formation of the metabolic syndrome was shown. It was found that free saliva testosterone significantly correlated with the level of calculated serum free testosterone. In patients with obesity and metabolic syndrome there are a statistically significant increase in saliva testosterone indicators compared to calculated serum free testosterone, while at normal body weight differences are absent. It is concluded that saliva testosterone is more sensitive and appropriate marker for obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Keywords

• metabolic syndrome
• obesity
• male hypogonadism
• total testosterone
• calculated free testosterone
• saliva testosterone
• sex-steroidbinding globulin
• hyperinsulinemia
• insulin resistance
• abdominal obesity