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Meta-Analysis
. 2024 Nov 14;25(22):12221.
doi: 10.3390/ijms252212221.

Effects of Testosterone Replacement Therapy on Metabolic Syndrome in Male Patients-Systematic Review

Nicola Mlynarz  1 , Miłosz Miedziaszczyk  2   3 , Barbara Wieckowska  4 , Edyta Szalek  3 , Katarzyna Lacka  5
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Effects of Testosterone Replacement Therapy on Metabolic Syndrome in Male Patients-Systematic Review

Nicola Mlynarz et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Metabolic syndrome (MS) comprises several symptoms or disorders that significantly increase the risk of developing atherosclerosis and type 2 diabetes. This study aims to determine the direct impact of testosterone therapy on the components of MS; although excluding type 2 diabetes cases. The authors conducted a systematic literature search of PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane databases without date limits, using keywords such as "testosterone therapy", "metabolic syndrome" and "men". The studies included in our review focused on the effects of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in male patients with MS, yet rejecting individuals where type 2 diabetes constituted the only diagnosis. A meta-analysis was performed using PQStat v1.8.6 software. The overall effect size (mean difference) was calculated using a random effects model. Our meta-analysis indicates that testosterone therapy leads to improvement in the components of MS. Significant reductions were observed in waist circumference (WC) (95% CI: -0.709 to 0.094; p = 0.011), as well as in triglycerides (TG) (95% CI: -0.474 to 0.120; p = 0.039). These findings support the potential therapeutic benefits of testosterone treatment in managing MS. However, further research is vital to explore the long-term effects and the safety of this therapy in patients with metabolic syndrome.

Keywords: male; metabolic syndrome; obesity; testosterone; testosterone therapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The effect of testosterone on fasting glucose level [10,11]. Legend: The horizontal lines denote the 95% CI, the Square (■) shows the point estimate (the size of the square corresponds to its weight); the diamond shows (♦) the combined overall effects (random effects) of testosterone.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The effect of testosterone on cholesterol [10,11]. Legend: The horizontal lines denote the 95% CI, the Square (■) shows the point estimate (the size of the square corresponds to its weight); the diamond shows (♦) the combined overall effects (random effects) of testosterone.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The effect of testosterone on triglycerides [10,11]. Legend: The horizontal lines denote the 95% CI, the Square (■) shows the point estimate (the size of the square corresponds to its weight); the diamond shows (♦) the combined overall effects (random effects) of testosterone.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The effect of testosterone on high density lipoprotein [10,11]. Legend: The horizontal lines denote the 95% CI, the Square (■) shows the point estimate (the size of the square corresponds to its weight); the diamond shows (♦) the combined overall effects (random effects) of testosterone.
Figure 5
Figure 5
The effect of testosterone on waist circumference [10,11]. Legend: The horizontal lines denote the 95% CI, the Square (■) shows the point estimate (the size of the square corresponds to its weight); the diamond shows (♦) the combined overall effects (random effects) of testosterone.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Comprehensive impact of testosterone deficiency on health components and the related issues. This figure presents the extensive effects of testosterone deficiency on various health components. The central circle represents testosterone deficiency, surrounded by key components of MS and other health issues.
Figure 7
Figure 7
The effects of testosterone replacement therapy on the components of the metabolic syndrome.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Flow chart summarizing the screening strategy for studies included in the meta-analysis. The chart shows the number of records identified, screened, excluded, and the final studies included in the analysis.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Bias assessment for testosterone replacement therapy [10,11].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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