Anti-obesity medications can normalize testosterone levels in men, suggests study

Anti-obesity medications can significantly raise testosterone levels and improve health outcomes for men with obesity or type 2 diabetes, according to a new study being presented Monday at ENDO 2025, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in San Francisco, Calif.

Testosterone not only plays a critical role in the body when it comes to male sexual functioning, but it can also have an impact on an individual’s bone mass, fat distribution, muscle mass, strength and red blood cell production. Increases in body weight and prevalence of type 2 diabetes are often associated with lowered testosterone levels, resulting in fatigue, decreased libido and quality of life.

“While it is well known that weight loss from lifestyle changes or bariatric surgery increases testosterone levels, the impact that anti-obesity medications may also have on these levels has not been widely studied,” said Shellsea Portillo Canales, M.D., endocrinology fellow at SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. “Our study is among the first to provide compelling evidence that low testosterone can be reversed with the use of commonly prescribed anti-obesity medications.”