Obese teenage boys have 50% less total testosterone than normal-weight boys of the same age, which significantly increases the risk of impotence in adulthood. Such gloomy predictions were made by scientists from the University of Buffalo based on the results of their small pediatric study.
"We were surprised to find a 50 percent decrease in male hormone levels in young, non-diabetic people," says medical professor Paresh Dandona. “The consequences of this state of affairs are, frankly, terrifying, because these guys are potential impotent people and therefore will suffer infertility in the future.”
Scientists examined 25 obese young men aged 14-20 years and 25 thin young men, distributing them by age and level of puberty. Blood levels of testosterone (total and free) and estradiol, a female hormone, were measured in the morning on an empty stomach.
In addition to reproductive disorders, a low level of testosterone or its absence can also increase the tendency to form abdominal fat and lead to a decrease in muscle mass, which leads to insulin resistance and the development of diabetes mellitus.
These results show how enormous the effects of obesity are even in adolescents, and that diet and lifestyle in childhood have a major impact on all subsequent life.
Now scientists intend to conduct a new study and find out whether testosterone levels will be restored in male adolescents with weight loss due to lifestyle changes or pharmacological intervention.
