Testosterone Therapy Could Help to Manage Type 2 Diabetes in Men

By
Ashley Seek
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Last Updated on 2021-03-29 , 3:42 pm

The next time you take a sip of your bubble tea, just think to yourself, “Have I been drinking too much?”

Because you sure don’t want to be on your way to getting diabetes.

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There are two main types of it.

Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune problem. This causes the immune system to attack its own pancreas, causing it to secrete very little insulin.

Type 2 diabetes usually can be prevented. It happens when the body can’t properly use the insulin it produces so sugar builds up in the blood.

In 2014, roughly 440,000 Singaporeans aged 18 and above were said to have diabetes.

And this number is expected to increase to 1 million by 2050.

Testosterone Therapy Could Help to Manage Type 2 Diabetes in Men

Though, recently, a way to combat type 2 diabetes in men.

It involves becoming manlier…I mean, the use of testosterone.

Urologist Dr Joe Lee said that proper levels of testosterone can help improve insulin sensitivity and provide better sugar control.

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At the same time, with susceptibility to fatigue reduced, the patient can start exercising to control his weight much easier.

Being tired all the time could sometimes mean you have fatigability.

It’s usually a sign of testosterone deficiency, defined by a persistently low level of the hormone. Other symptoms include sexual dysfunction, poor memory and concentration, as well as mood swings.

Dr Lee noted between 15 and 25 per cent of men with diabetes may have low testosterone and should these men are recommended to have their testosterone levels checked.

How Testosterone Therapy Works

But the big question we’re all wondering is what the process is like.

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When low testosterone is first detected, patients are advised to adopt some lifestyle adjustments like being more active and eating healthily.

If that doesn’t help the symptoms then testosterone replacement therapy might be considered.

It’s usually done through testosterone injections every three months, gel or tablets.

However, Dr Lee clarifies that while it does help diabetes, it is not the direct answer to the problem.

“The patients who benefit have to be patients who are proactive in managing their lifestyle and risk factors. It cannot be left to just testosterone. It’s not a wonder drug.”

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It’s kind of like having workout equipment to help with exercise, it’s whether you want to use it or not.

Only said equipment is being injected directly into your body.

Importance Of Getting Checked

Another doctor at Gleneagles Medical Centre said that with or without low testosterone levels, controlling diabetes is still very important.

And so far, the results have been positive

A consultant urologist and andrologist at Advanced Urology Associates at Farrer Park Hospital said that up to 30 per cent of men who see him for testosterone deficiency would also be diabetic.

He notes that when the levels of testosterone are normal post-treatment, these men seem to have more relief from their symptoms.

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Dr Lee advised men with diabetes who experience symptoms of low testosterone to request a check to see if their testosterone levels are indeed low.

He also noted that it’s usually hard to detect and encourages both doctors and patients to talk more about it.

Meanwhile, on our own, we can also do our part to reduce the risk of diabetes in our lives. And be warned that not all things that look healthy may be safe either.

Featured Image: Proxima Studio / Shutterstock.com

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Ashley Seek
seek.ashley@goodyfeed.com