TRT and Diabetes Remission: The Encouraging Results from German Research Study
Scientists are studying the possible connection between Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) and diabetes remission. These startling facts leave little wonder as to why researchers are scrambling to find effective treatments.
According to the CDC, diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the United States in 2015.
The average medical expenditures for people with diagnosed diabetes were about 2.3 times higher than for people without diabetes.
Men with Type 2 diabetes are both more likely to suffer weight control issues and have clinically low testosterone levels—a cyclone of health issues, each condition making the other ones worse.
TRT and Diabetes Remission: What the Research Shows
Weight loss and lifestyle changes are the intuitive, common-sense answer, but in most cases such drastic alterations to daily life prove unsustainable and therefore ineffective at altering the hormonal imbalances at play in these men’s systems.
In a 2020 German research study, Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) was used to restore hormonal balance, which resulted in diabetes remission for approximately one third of the participating male patients.
In a prospective, registry-based study published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, urologists in Germany analyzed data from 356 men with type 2 diabetes, a total testosterone level of 12.1 nmol/L or lower and symptoms of hypogonadism collected over an eleven-year period. The researchers reported that most of the patients had hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, consistent with their type 2 diabetes.
The subjects all received standard treatment for their diabetes and were enrolled into a mandatory diabetic disease management education program for diabetes. 178 men received supplementary testosterone every 12 weeks after an initial 6-week interval. The remaining 178 men that declined testosterone therapy served as controls.
At least twice yearly, researchers measured disease markers, including:
- Fasting glucose
- HbA1c
- Insulin levels
- Blood pressure
- Lipid profiles
- Total testosterone
- Quality of life, as measured by the Aging Males’ Symptoms scale
- Erectile dysfunction, according to the International Index of Erectile Function
Mean changes of both men who received testosterone and the control subjects who did not were compared over time.
Researchers found that men with hypogonadism and type 2 diabetes treated with testosterone experienced significant, progressive, and sustained reductions in fasting glucose, HbA1c, and fasting insulin during the treatment period. In comparison, control subjects who did not receive TRT saw increases in fasting glucose, HbA1c, and fasting insulin.
46.6% of men receiving treatment achieved normal glucose regulation.
The Results in More Practical Terms
Among men who received testosterone therapy, 34.3% experienced diabetes remission after approximately 9 years of treatment, including a discontinuation of all diabetes medications.
However, no remission of diabetes or reduction in glucose or HbA1c levels could be observed among the control subjects who didn’t receive TRT.
The group receiving TRT also experienced fewer deaths, fewer heart attacks, fewer strokes, and fewer diabetes complications compared to the control group receiving no therapy for their low testosterone.
(More information on the cardiovascular benefits of treating low testosterone can be found here.)
Testosterone Replacement Therapy—Learn the Facts
For men suffering the effects of Type 2 Diabetes and weight control issues, the restoration of healthy testosterone levels through TRT (Testosterone Replacement Therapy) could be the first step in a return to better health.
For more information on the health benefits of TRT, we recommend reading our comprehensive guide, which contains facts and answers to the most common questions regarding the treatment of low testosterone.
