UK: A recent study has found link between high testosterone levels in women and increased risk of diabetes, cancer, and metabolic diseases. According to the study, women having high levels of the sex hormone testosterone are at a 37% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. But on the other hand, higher testosterone was linked to a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes in men.
Findings, published in the journal Nature Medicine, demonstrated that the genetic determinants of testosterone levels are substantially different between sexes and that genetically higher testosterone is harmful for metabolic diseases in women but beneficial in men.
Testosterone supplementation is commonly used for its effects on sexual function, bone health, and body composition, yet its effects on disease outcomes are unknown. To better understand this, Timothy M Frayling, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK, and colleagues set out to see if there is any evidence for long term effects associated with high testosterone levels.
For the purpose, the researchers identified genetic determinants of testosterone levels and related sex hormone traits in 425,097 UK Biobank study participants.
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Key findings of the study include:
Using 2,571 genome-wide significant associations, the researchers demonstrate that the genetic determinants of testosterone levels are substantially different between sexes and that genetically higher testosterone is harmful for metabolic diseases in women but beneficial in men.
A genetically determined 1 s.d. higher testosterone increases the risks of type 2 diabetes (odds ratio (OR) = 1.37) and polycystic ovary syndrome (OR = 1.51) in women, but reduces type 2 diabetes risk in men (OR = 0.86).
Higher testosterone also had adverse effects on breast and endometrial cancers in women and prostate cancer in men.
"Our findings provide insights into the disease impacts of testosterone and highlight the importance of sex-specific genetic analyses" concluded the authors.
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The study, "Using human genetics to understand the disease impacts of testosterone in men and women," is published in the journal Nature Medicine.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-020-0751-5