Men with low levels of the male hormone, testosterone, have a higher risk of hospitalization for COVID-19 than men with normal levels, a study has found.
This is the result of a joint study between the University of Washington and the University of St. The research team analyzed data from 723 men who tested positive for COVID-19.
Of the test participants, 427 had normal testosterone levels and 116 had low levels. In addition, 180 people had low levels in the past, but at the time of Corona 19 through ‘hormone replacement therapy (therapy to supplement insufficient hormones)’, the level was within the normal range.
The analysis found that men with low testosterone levels were 2.4 times more likely to be hospitalized than men with normal levels. Men who had once had low levels of hormones but returned to normal levels through treatment were also less likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 than men with low levels.
The research team explained that ‘low testosterone levels’ are independent factors that increase the risk of hospitalization for COVID-19, similar to diabetes, heart disease and chronic lung disease.
This study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on the 2nd, JAMA Network Open, suggests that treatment to improve testosterone levels is important in the current situation of COVID-19. As COVID-19 is difficult to end, hospitalizations due to COVID-19 infection will continue to occur in the future. There is a need for a strategy to reduce the burden of hospitalization.
There are also limitations of this study. A serious illness or traumatic injury can temporarily lower testosterone levels. This study is not a study that clearly reveals the causal relationship between hormone levels and hospitalization for COVID-19, given that men hospitalized for COVID-19 may have temporary drop in testosterone levels due to corona infection.
In addition, since testosterone levels were measured between 2017 and 2021 in this study, there is a time lag between the time when some men were infected with COVID-19 and when the level was measured. In response, the research team explained that a low testosterone level is a ‘chronic disease’, so even a level measured before infection is meaningful.
Low testosterone levels can lead to sexual dysfunction, depression, irritability, difficulty concentrating, memory problems, fatigue, loss of muscle strength, and decreased euphoria. Since it is an obvious factor that lowers the quality of life for men, treatment is carried out through hormone replacement therapy. However, some men do not seek treatment when symptoms are mild. The research team believes that improving hormone levels will be a ‘potential factor’ to lower the risk of hospitalization for COVID-19, and explained that men with low hormone levels should look at the pros and cons of hormone replacement therapy from multiple angles.
By Moon Se-young, staff reporter [email protected]
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