Turkey-based researchers have discovered that COVID-19 leads to reduction in testosterone levels in men.
According to the study published in the journal The Aging Male, as men’s testosterone level at baseline decreases, their chances of winding up in the intensive care unit (ICU) increases remarkably.
Lead author of the sesearch, Selahittin Cayan from the University of Mersin in Turkey, was quoted by IANS as saying, “Testosterone is associated with the immune system of respiratory organs, and low levels of testosterone might increase the risk of respiratory infections.”
Suggesting testosterone treatment for an improved outcome for male COVID-19 positive patients, Cayan added, “Low testosterone is also associated with infection-related hospitalization and all-cause mortality in male in ICU patients, so testosterone treatment may also have benefits beyond improving outcomes for COVID-19.”
The researcher studied a total of 438 COVID-19 patients, including 232 males. The patients were divided into three groups, including 46 asymptomatic patients, 29 symptomatic patients hospitalized in the internal medicine unit (IMU) and 46 patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU).
It was found that the higher the severity of coronavirus in male patients, the lower was the level of mean total testosterone. The mean total testosterone level was significantly lower in the ICU group than in the group with no coronavirus symptoms. Moreover, the mean total testosterone level was significantly lower in the ICU group than in the IMU group.
Cayan informed, “We found Hypogonadism – a condition in which the body doesn’t produce enough testosterone in — (51.1 per cent) — of the male patients… The patients who died had significantly lower mean total testosterone than the patients who were alive. However, even 65.2 per cent of the 46 male patients who were asymptomatic had a loss of libido.”
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