Body Fat, Testosterone, and Lipids: New Insights from Local Healthy Male

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Obesity is currently a worldwide public health concern. Obesity and low testosterone levels are related, although the reasons for this are complex and multi-faceted. This study aims to assess the impact of body fat composition on serum testosterone and lipid profile in healthy adult males.

METHODOLOGY: This cross-sectional study classified 90 healthy adult males into three groups based on their body mass index (BMI) following WHO criteria. Detailed history, clinical examination, and BMI calculations were performed, while serum analysis was performed for testosterone, cholesterol, triglycerides, and high-density lipoproteins. SPSS Version 20 software for statistical analysis was used.

RESULTS: We observed that serum testosterone was significantly lower in individuals having high BMI (p value<0.001). It also exhibited a significantly negative correlation with weight (r= -0.491, p=0.00) and BMI (r= -0.599, p<0.001), whereas there was a notably positive correlation (r=0.234, p=0.026) with HDL cholesterol.

CONCLUSION: Our findings suggested that higher BMI may cause a decline in serum testosterone levels and might also affect serum lipid profile.