SAN FRANCISCO—Anti-obesity medications can significantly raise testosterone levels and improve health outcomes for men with obesity or type 2 diabetes, according to a new study being presented Monday at ENDO 2025, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in San Francisco, Calif.
Testosterone not only plays a critical role in the body when it comes to male sexual functioning, but it can also have an impact on an individual's bone mass, fat distribution, muscle mass, strength and red blood cell production. Increases in body weight and prevalence of type 2 diabetes are often associated with lowered testosterone levels, resulting in fatigue, decreased libido and quality of life.
"While it is well known that weight loss from lifestyle changes or bariatric surgery increases testosterone levels, the impact that anti-obesity medications may also have on these levels has not been widely studied," said Shellsea Portillo Canales, M.D., endocrinology fellow at SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. "Our study is among the first to provide compelling evidence that low testosterone can be reversed with the use of commonly prescribed anti-obesity medications."
To test this hypothesis, researchers analyzed the electronic health records of 110 adult men with obesity or type 2 diabetes being treated with the weight-loss medications semaglutide, dulaglutide or tirzepatide and who were not on testosterone or hormonal therapy. Participants' total and free testosterone levels were measured before and during treatment over the course of 18 months.
Along with 10% weight loss, the proportion of men with normal levels of both total and free testosterone rose from 53% to 77%. These findings indicate that anti-obesity medications also can have a positive effect on the reproductive health of men with obesity or type 2 diabetes.
"Results from this study show that there is a direct correlation between the use of anti-obesity medications and testosterone levels," said Portillo Canales. "Doctors and their patients can now consider this class of medications not only for the treatment of obesity and to control blood sugar, but also to benefit men's reproductive health."
