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Increased testosterone raises type 2 diabetes risk in women
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.
Read Also: Vitamin D reduces blood sugar and body fat in obese Indian women: DFI Study
The study, "Using human genetics to understand the disease impacts of testosterone in men and women," is published in the journal Nature Medicine.
MSc. Biotechnology
Medha Baranwal joined Medical Dialogues as an Editor in 2018 for Speciality Medical Dialogues. She covers several medical specialties including Cardiac Sciences, Dentistry, Diabetes and Endo, Diagnostics, ENT, Gastroenterology, Neurosciences, and Radiology. She has completed her Bachelors in Biomedical Sciences from DU and then pursued Masters in Biotechnology from Amity University. She has a working experience of 5 years in the field of medical research writing, scientific writing, content writing, and content management. She can be contacted at  editorial@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751
Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751