Skip to content

Testosterone Replacement in Men With Diabetes and Obesity

Effect of Hypogonadotrophic Hypogonadism and Treatment With Testosterone on Insulin Sensitivity, Inflammation, Body Composition and Sexual Function in Obese and Type 2 Diabetic Men

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT01127659
Enrollment
137
Registered
2010-05-21
Start date
2010-05-31
Completion date
2015-11-30
Last updated
2022-11-29

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Hypogonadism

Keywords

diabetes, hypogonadism, obesity, testosterone, insulin sensitivity, inflammation

Brief summary

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of having testosterone deficiency in men with diabetes and with obesity. The study will also evaluate the effect of testosterone therapy. This will be done by comparing the changes in several body response indicators following treatment with testosterone in diabetic or obese-non diabetic men with low testosterone levels and comparing them to diabetic or obese-non diabetic men with low testosterone who are not treated with testosterone.

Detailed description

Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH) occurs in approximately one-third of obese and type 2 diabetic men. Considering that there are 24 million diabetic and 100 million obese people, of which half are males, obesity and type 2 diabetes potentially constitute the major cause of hypogonadism in the population. We hypothesize that 1) HH in obese and type 2 diabetic men is associated with decreased insulin sensitivity, increased fat tissue mass, decreased lean body mass, increased inflammatory and oxidative stress, impaired sexual function and depressed mood as compared to diabetic and obese men with normal testosterone concentrations; and that 2) testosterone replacement for 24 weeks in men with HH leads to an improvement in these parameters. Our proposed study would be the first prospective, randomized trial to comprehensively evaluate the effect of HH on insulin sensitivity, body composition, inflammatory and oxidative indices in obese and type 2 diabetic subjects and the effect of six months of T replacement on these parameters. The study will have 2 arms (obese and type 2 diabetic arm) with 120 subjects in Diabetes arm and 80 subjects in obese arm. Half of men in each arm will have HH and half men will have normal testosterone concentrations(eugonadal men). Insulin sensitivity will be assessed by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps. Subcutaneous fat mass and lean body mass will be measured by DEXA and intra-abdominal (visceral) fat mass by MRI. All subjects will undergo hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp, MRI, DEXA and give blood and urine samples (for measurement of inflammatory and oxidative stress) at baseline. Men with HH will then be randomized to receive testosterone or placebo gel for a total of 24 weeks. These men will undergo hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps and give blood and urine samples for inflammation and oxidative stress at 4 weeks and 24 weeks. MRI and DEXA examinations will be carried out at 24 weeks again in men with HH. The primary endpoint of the study is to define a difference in whole body glucose uptake during hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps between hypogonadal and eugonadal diabetes patients at baseline and an increase in glucose uptake in HH subjects after treatment with testosterone for 24 weeks. 30 subjects per group(testosterone and placebo gel each) will provide adequate power (0.8) to detect a significant difference of 10% in whole body glucose uptake. Therefore there will be 60 men with HH in each arm in diabetes group. For baseline comparisons, 60 men with normal testosterone concentrations will also be needed in each arm. We will recruit 40 obese patients in each arm. Thus there will be 120 diabetic men and 80 obese men in the study.

Interventions

DRUGtestosterone

intramuscular every 2 weeks

DRUGplacebo

saline intramuscular every 2 weeks

Sponsors

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
CollaboratorNIH
University at Buffalo
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Investigator)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
MALE
Age
30 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* T2D arm: Males with age 30-65 years * Obese non-diabetic arm: Obese non-diabetic males with age 30-65 years

Exclusion criteria

1)Coronary event or procedure(myocardial infarction, unstable angina, coronary artery bypass, surgery or coronary angioplasty) in the previous twelve weeks; 2) PSA \> 4ng/ml; 3)Hemoglobin A1c \> 8%; 4)h/o prostate carcinoma; 5)Hepatic disease (transaminase \> 3 times normal) or cirrhosis; 6)Renal impairment (defined as GFR\<30); 7)HIV or Hepatitis C positive status; 9)Participation in any other concurrent clinical trial; 10)Any other life-threatening, non-cardiac disease; 11)Use of over the counter health supplements which contain androgens; 12)Use of an investigational agent or therapeutic regimen within 30 days of study; 13)prostate nodule or severe enlargement on digital rectal examination; 14)Use of testosterone currently or in the past 4 months; 15)Hematocrit \> 50%; 16)History of untreated severe obstructive sleep apnea(defined as apnea-hypopnea index ≥30); 17)symptoms suggestive of severe BPH; 18)Congestive heart failure, class III or IV; 20)Known to have anemia secondary to iron, B12 or folic acid deficiency; 21)bone marrow disorder such as myelodysplasia or aplastic anemia; 22) currently suffering from symptomatic depression, with or without treatment; 23) history of severe depression in the past which needed hospitalization; 24)currently suffering from foot ulcer, significant periodontal disease or any other chronic infectious condition; 25)planning to have children. 26) Subjects on testosterone or with testosterone replacement in the past 4 months will be excluded.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Insulin Sensitivitybaseline to 6 monthsmeasured by HE clamps (baseline and 6 mths)

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Body Compositionbaseline to 6 monthsBody composition using Total body fat mass (kg)

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Diabetes With HH: Testosterone
active drug diabetes hypogonadal arm testosterone: intramuscular every 2 weeks
22
Obese With HH: Testosterone
active drug obese hypogonadal arm testosterone: intramuscular every 2 weeks
12
Obese With HH: Placebo
placebo obese hypogonadal arm placebo: saline intramuscular every 2 weeks
10
Diabetes With HH: Placebo
placebo diabetes hypogonadal arm placebo: saline intramuscular every 2 weeks
22
Eugonadal Diabetes
diabetic men with normal testosterone
50
Eugonadal Obese
obese non-diabetic men with normal testosterone
21
Total137

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicObese With HH: TestosteroneObese With HH: PlaceboDiabetes With HH: PlaceboDiabetes With HH: TestosteroneEugonadal DiabetesEugonadal ObeseTotal
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
12 Participants10 Participants22 Participants22 Participants50 Participants21 Participants137 Participants
Age, Continuous46 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 9
53 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 7
54 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 9
54 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 7
52 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 9
50 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 8
52 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 8
Region of Enrollment
United States
12 participants10 participants22 participants22 participants50 participants21 participants137 participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
12 Participants10 Participants22 Participants22 Participants50 Participants21 Participants137 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
EG002
affected / at risk
EG003
affected / at risk
EG004
affected / at risk
EG005
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
— / —— / —— / —— / —— / —— / —
other
Total, other adverse events
0 / 220 / 220 / 120 / 100 / 500 / 21
serious
Total, serious adverse events
0 / 220 / 220 / 120 / 100 / 500 / 21

Outcome results

Primary

Insulin Sensitivity

measured by HE clamps (baseline and 6 mths)

Time frame: baseline to 6 months

Population: Glucose infusion rate in HE clamps was measured

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Diabetes With HH: TestosteroneInsulin Sensitivity6 months8.73 mg/kg fat free mass/minStandard Deviation 4.27
Diabetes With HH: TestosteroneInsulin Sensitivitybaseline6.66 mg/kg fat free mass/minStandard Deviation 4.36
Diabetes With HH: PlaceboInsulin Sensitivity6 months5.06 mg/kg fat free mass/minStandard Deviation 3.62
Diabetes With HH: PlaceboInsulin Sensitivitybaseline5.12 mg/kg fat free mass/minStandard Deviation 2.79
Obese With HH: TestosteroneInsulin Sensitivitybaseline11.37 mg/kg fat free mass/minStandard Deviation 8.83
Obese With HH: TestosteroneInsulin Sensitivity6 months12.96 mg/kg fat free mass/minStandard Deviation 7.11
Obese With HH: PlaceboInsulin Sensitivity6 months14.57 mg/kg fat free mass/minStandard Deviation 1.71
Obese With HH: PlaceboInsulin Sensitivitybaseline12.93 mg/kg fat free mass/minStandard Deviation 5.16
Eugonadal DiabetesInsulin Sensitivitybaseline10.29 mg/kg fat free mass/minStandard Deviation 5.55
Eugonadal ObeseInsulin Sensitivitybaseline12.30 mg/kg fat free mass/minStandard Deviation 5.96
Secondary

Body Composition

Body composition using Total body fat mass (kg)

Time frame: baseline to 6 months

Population: Body composition using Total body fat mass (kg)

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Diabetes With HH: TestosteroneBody Composition24 WEEKS42.1 kgStandard Deviation 12.5
Diabetes With HH: TestosteroneBody CompositionBaseline44.5 kgStandard Deviation 13.7
Diabetes With HH: PlaceboBody CompositionBaseline44.5 kgStandard Deviation 15
Diabetes With HH: PlaceboBody Composition24 WEEKS45.4 kgStandard Deviation 14.4
Obese With HH: TestosteroneBody Composition24 WEEKS46.4 kgStandard Deviation 11.7
Obese With HH: TestosteroneBody CompositionBaseline50.2 kgStandard Deviation 9.5
Obese With HH: PlaceboBody CompositionBaseline48.8 kgStandard Deviation 10.4
Obese With HH: PlaceboBody Composition24 WEEKS48.4 kgStandard Deviation 11.2
Eugonadal DiabetesBody CompositionBaseline34.0 kgStandard Deviation 12
Eugonadal ObeseBody CompositionBaseline40.2 kgStandard Deviation 12.4

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026