According to a group of Turkish researchers, male patients hospitalized with COVID-19 experience a decrease in testosterone, potentially affecting their overall prognosis.
Results of the study, published in The Aging Male, showed that as a man’s testosterone went down, their chances of being admitted to the intensive care unit increased.
“Testosterone is associated with the immune system of respiratory organs, and low levels of testosterone might increase the risk of respiratory infections,” said lead author Selahittin Cayan, in a release about the study. “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.”
Cayan noted in the release that the mean total testosterone level was “significantly lower in the ICU group than in the asymptomatic group.” The mean total testosterone level was also significantly lower in the ICU group than the intermediate care group.
The trial included 438 patients, including 232 males who had been diagnosed with ARS-CoV-2. The patients were divided into three groups: asymptomatic, asymptomatic in the internal medicine unit, and patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit.
While patients who died had a significantly lower mean testosterone level than those who survived, Cayan noted that 65.2% of asymptomatic males experienced a loss of libido. Eleven male patients and seven female patients died during the study, which the authors said showed “no significance between the two genders.”
“It could be recommended that at the time of COVID-19 diagnosis, testosterone levels are also tested,” Cayan added. “In men with low levels of sex hormones who test positive for COVID-19, testosterone treatment could improve their prognosis.”
Cayan said more research was needed on the topic to reach a significant conclusion. The release noted that one area of study suggested by the authors is the concentration levels of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 to total testosterone levels.
