Table 2.
Baseline characteristics of enrolled patients and differences among the three groups
| Eugonadal (n = 17) | Hypogonadal (n = 46) | Hypogonadal + TTh (n = 15) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 44.5 ± 3.1 | 44.7 ± 1.4 | 50.1 ± 2.8 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 42.4 ± 1.8 | 47.2 ± 1.3 | 42.5 ± 1.2 |
| WC (cm) | 133.7 ± 4.0 | 146.1 ± 2.4 | 131.7 ± 2.8 |
| Systolic BP (mmHg) | 126.1 ± 3.5 | 133.5 ± 2.7 | 131.7 ± 2.8 |
| Diastolic BP (mmHg) | 77.3 ± 2.2 | 83.6 ± 1.7 | 83.0 ± 2.3 |
| Use of on demand PDE5i % (n) | (0) | (0) | (2) |
| Use of glucose-lowering drugs % (n) | 23.5 (4) | 26.1 (12) | 20.0 (3) |
| Metformin % (n) | (4) | (12) | (3) |
| Repaglinide % (n) | (0) | (2) | (1) |
| GLP-1 analogs % (n) | (1) | (0) | (2) |
| DPPIV inhibitors % (n) | (0) | (2) | (1) |
| Insulin % (n) | (0) | (2) | (0) |
| Use of lipid-lowering drugs (%) | 5.9 (1) | 13.0 (6) | 20.0 (3) |
| Statin (%) | (1) | (4) | (3) |
| Fibrates (%) | (0) | (2) | (0) |
| Omega-3 fatty acids (%) | (0) | (1) | (0) |
| Ezetimibe (%) | (0) | (1) | (0) |
| Total testosterone (nmol/l) | 15.7 ± 0.9 | 7.6 ± 0.4* | 7.4 ± 0.5* |
| SHBG (nmol/l) | 38.2 [34.6–46.9] | 25.0 [14.6–34.9]° | 32.3 [18.6–34.5]° |
| cfT (pmol/l) | 311.2 ± 14.1 | 157.1 ± 6.4* | 153.0 ± 9.4* |
| LH (U/l) | 5.6 [3.4–6.7] | 3.8 [2.7–5.4] | 3.2 [1.8–5.1] |
| 17β estradiol (pmol/l) | 153.5 [104.2–180.0] | 130.0 [95.0–150.0] | 101.0 [85.0–140.0] |
| Hematocrit (%) | 44.5 ± 1.3 | 45.1 ± 0.5 | 44.5 ± 1.2 |
| PSA (ng/dl) | 0.5 [0.3–0.7] | 0.5 [0.3–0.9] | 0.5 [0.4–1.3] |
| Glycaemia (g/l) | 1.1 ± 0.1 | 1.2 ± 0.1 | 1.2 ± 0.1 |
| HbA1c (mmol/mol) | 40.2 ± 2.2 | 45.4 ± 2.6 | 46.3 ± 3.7 |
| Triglycerides (mg/dl) | 97.0 [74.0–188.0] | 145.0 [110.0–205.5] | 152.0 [105.0–236.0] |
| Total cholesterol (mg/dl) | 187.6 ± 9.8 | 208.3 ± 8.3 | 199.4 ± 10.7 |
| HDL cholesterol (mg/dl) | 44.1 ± 2.4 | 42.6 ± 1.7 | 39.0 ± 1.5 |
| LDL cholesterol (mg/dl) | 115.0 ± 5.7 | 133.5 ± 7.1 | 118.9 ± 9.6 |
| T2DM % (n) | (4) | (9) | (3) |
| Hypertension % (n) | (7) | (20) | (9) |
| Cardiovascular diseases % (n) | (4) | (4) | (2) |
| MetS % (n) | 61.5 (8) | 87.5 (35) | 80 (12) |
| AMS total score | 30.5 [26.0–34.5] | 32.5 [25.5–39.5] | 32.0 [26.0–40.0] |
| AMS sexual symptoms score | 6.5 [5.0–13.2] | 7.0 [5.0–10.5] | 12.0 [11.0–15.0]* |
| IPSS total score | 10 [8–25] | 8 [8–24] | 10 [8–16] |
Data are expressed as mean ± SEM when normally distributed and as percentages when categorical. Bold value indicates statistical significance difference. *p < 0.0001, °p < 0.05 vs. Eugonadal
TTh testosterone therapy, BMI body mass index, WC waist circumference, BP blood pressure, PDE5i phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, GLP glucagon-like peptide-1, DPPIV dipeptidyl peptidase 4, SHBG sex hormone binding globulin, cFT calculated free testosterone, LH luteinizing hormone, PSA prostate specific antigen, HbA1c glycated hemoglobin, HDL high-density lipoprotein, LDL low-density lipoprotein, T2DM type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, MetS Metabolic Syndrome, AMS Aging Males’ Symptoms scale, IPSS International Prostatic Symptoms Score