Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2010 Dec;23(12):1281-7.
doi: 10.1515/jpem.2010.202.

Testosterone, obesity and insulin resistance in young males: evidence for an association between gonadal dysfunction and insulin resistance during puberty

Megan Moriarty-Kelsey  1 , Jeri E F Harwood, Sharon H Travers, Philip S Zeitler, Kristen J Nadeau
Affiliations

Testosterone, obesity and insulin resistance in young males: evidence for an association between gonadal dysfunction and insulin resistance during puberty

Megan Moriarty-Kelsey et al. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2010 Dec.

Abstract

Objective: To assess the relationships among obesity, insulin sensitivity, and testosterone in pubertal boys.

Participants: This study included 20 lean, obese, and type 2 diabetic (T2DM) males, the majority of whom underwent a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp (n=16).

Methods: Glucose disposal (M value), serum testosterone, and body mass index (BMI) z-score were measured. Differences in testosterone were evaluated by group (lean vs. obese vs. T2DM), while regression was performed to evaluate the relationships among testosterone, obesity and insulin sensitivity.

Results: Controlling for Tanner stage, testosterone concentration was significantly lower in obese (p=0.02) and T2DM males (p=0.001) compared to lean males. Furthermore, M value was significantly associated with serum testosterone, even after controlling for BMI and Tanner stage.

Conclusions: These data suggest that obese adolescent boys have lower serum testosterone than controls of the same Tanner stage, and echo the data in adult males associating obesity and insulin resistance with hypogonadism.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Comparison of estimated testosterone between lean, obese and T2DM males. Testosterone concentrations are adjusted for Tanner stage. *Lean vs. Obese p=0.02, **Lean vs. T2DM p=0.001.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Regression analysis of testosterone by M value, controlling for BMI and Tanner stage. p=0.006 (to convert values for testosterone to SI units (nmol/l), multiply by 0.037)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Herman-Giddens ME, Slora EJ, Wasserman RC, Bourdony CJ, Bhapkar MV, Koch GG, et al. Secondary sexual characteristics and menses in young girls seen in office practice: A study from the Pediatric Research in Office Settings Network. Pediatrics. 1997;99:505–12. - PubMed
    1. Euling SY, Herman-Giddens ME, Lee PA, Selevan SG, Juul A, Sorensen TIA, et al. Examination of US puberty-timing data from 1940 to 1994 for secular trends: panel findings. Pediatrics. 2008;121(suppl 3):S172–S191. - PubMed
    1. Kaplowitz PB. Link between body fat and the timing of puberty. Pediatrics. 2008;121(suppl 3):S208–S217. - PubMed
    1. Wang Y. Is obesity associated with early sexual maturation? A comparison of the association in American boys versus girls. Pediatrics. 2002;110:903–10. - PubMed
    1. Vignolo M, Naselli A, Di BE, Mostert M, Aicardi G. Growth and development in simple obesity. Eur J Pediatr. 1988;147:242–4. - PubMed