CHICAGO — Men with prostatic disease often present with symptoms of hypogonadism and are more likely to be hypogonadal, compared with patients who do not have prostatic conditions, Dr. Sherwyn L. Schwartz said in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.
As part of the Hypogonadism in Males (HIM) study, Dr. Schwartz, an endocrinologist in private practice in San Antonio, looked at 391 men aged 45 or older who had prostatic disease and made appointments at 95 primary care centers over a 2-week period. Patients included 165 men with serum total testosterone levels of less than 300 ng/dL, defined as hypogonadal levels, and 226 men with normal serum total testosterone levels.
All patients had a single morning blood draw to test for concentrations of total testosterone, free testosterone, bioavailable testosterone, and sex hormone-binding globulin. They were surveyed for comorbid conditions and for signs and symptoms of hypogonadism, such as decline in general feeling of well-being, decline in muscular strength, decrease in sexual desire, and depressed mood. Dr. Schwartz compared study results in this group with results from the overall HIM study population.
In the overall study population, the percentage of hypogonadal men with a medical history of prostatic disease or disorder was 20%, similar to the 17% prevalence seen in eugonadal men. But in the hypogonadal population not receiving testosterone therapy, 21% had prostatic disease, which was statistically significant when compared with the prevalence in eugonadal men.
Similarly, the risk for hypogonadism in the overall study population was comparable for men with and without prostatic disease. But for the untreated population, the risk of hypogonadism in men with prostatic disease was significantly greater than in men with no history of prostatic disease. “Larger studies that examine the relationship between the occurrence of hypogonadal symptoms and the risk of hypogonadism in men aged 45 or older with and without prostatic diseases or disorders are warranted,” he concluded.