About one third of young adult men with type 2 diabetes have low testosterone levels, research shows.

The potential implications for men, in terms of their sexual and reproductive function during prime reproductive years, are “profound,” warn Dr. Paresh Dandona and colleagues from the State University of New York at Buffalo in the journal Diabetes Care.

The researchers measured circulating levels of testosterone in 24 type 2 diabetic men and 38 type 1 diabetic men. All of the men were between 18 and 35 years old.

They found that testosterone levels were significantly lower in type 2 diabetics than in type 1 diabetics.

Specifically, 33 percent of the type 2 diabetics had testosterone levels that were below normal and 58 percent had testosterone levels below normal for their age.

Consistent with previous data, men with low testosterone levels also had low levels of luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone levels, indicating that they met diagnostic criteria for a condition called “hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism,” in which the testes are unable to function properly.

Low testosterone levels may impair sexual function, reduce sex drive, and lead to erectile dysfunction, the investigators point out. Moreover, young type 2 diabetics with low testosterone may have weak bones and may also be at increased risk for heart and vascular disease.

SOURCE: Diabetes Care, October 2008.