Therapeutic Research

Abstract

Metabolic syndrome is the state of being at an increased risk for cardiovascular events caused by visceral fat accumulation. Insulin resistance is suggested to be an upstream factor in the development of metabolic syndrome Decreased levels of testosterone, one of androgens, can serve as a predictor of the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. In this study, we examined the association between free testosterone and insulin resistance in men with metabolic syndrome. The subjects were 58 men aged more than 20 years who met the diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome used in Japan（mean age, 56.2±9.5 years; body mass index, 27.2±2.3kg/m2; waist circumference, 90.6±6.5 cm [mean±SD]）. Fasting blood glucose, fasting blood insulin, homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance （HOMA–R） index, HbA1c, total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL–cholesterol, and free testosterone were measured for each subject. Then, we examined the association of free testosterone with each of the measurement variables. Free testosterone was negatively correlated with HOMA–R（r＝ - 0.394, p＜0.01） and waist circum-ference（r＝ - 0.268, p＜0.05）. Our findings suggest that free testosterone is closely associated with insulin resistance in men with metabolic syndrome.