June 2008 | Daily Diagnosis

The U.K.'s Telegraph (6/17, Highfield) reported that findings presented during the meeting of the Endocrine Society add "to the scientific evidence" that links testosterone deficiency "with reduced life expectancy, or increased death from all causes over time." German researchers led by Robin Haring, Ph.D., discovered that "[o]verall, men with low testosterone levels had more than 2.5 times greater risk of dying during the next 10 years, compared with men who had higher testosterone."

The group had examined the "causes of death in almost 2,000 German men aged 20 to 79 years," and found that men with low testosterone levels also "tended to be older, fatter, and had a greater prevalence of diabetes and high blood pressure," added HealthDay (6/17, McKeever). Yet, two other studies, funded by Bayer Schering Pharma, "showed that testosterone treatment significantly reduced abdominal fat, total cholesterol, LDL ('bad') cholesterol, triglycerides, and body mass index." The treatment "also helped raise HDL ('good') cholesterol." Furthermore, the co-author of both studies, Farid Saad, Ph.D., pointed out that "men older than 63 benefited as much as younger men."

The "findings came from a study of 95 hypogonadal men ages 34 to 69," who "[a]ll had metabolic syndrome, which is associated with low testosterone," noted MedPage Today (6/17, Bankhead). But Dr. Saad said, "Restoring plasma testosterone levels to normal in elderly hypogonadal men leads to significant improvements of features of the metabolic syndrome."