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Age-Dependent Relationships Between Disease Risk and Testosterone Levels: Relevance to COVID-19 Disease.
Muehlenbein, M, Gassen, J, Nowak, T, Henderson, A, Morris, B, Weaver, S, Baker, E
American journal of men's health. 2023;17(2):15579883221130195
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A growing body of research finds that in men, testosterone levels may be prognostic of clinical outcomes related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 disease). The presence of pre-existing chronic conditions in many patients with COVID-19 disease further complicates the relationship among testosterone and severe outcomes. The aim of this study was to examine whether pre-existing conditions for severe COVID-19 disease were related to serum-free testosterone levels in men who had not been infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus. This study obtained data from men (n = 142) who participated in the longitudinal study Waco COVID Survey. All data included in the study was collected as part of the initial intake survey and first laboratory appointment. Results show that serum-free testosterone levels decreased as a function of age. In fact, greater burden of pre-existing conditions for severe COVID-19 disease was related to lower testosterone levels among men younger than 40 years of age. Furthermore, in men older than 40 years of age the decrease in testosterone that accompanies aging attenuated the effect of the clinical risk score on free testosterone levels. Authors conclude that their findings add important insights into the complex role of androgens in chronic and infectious diseases and contribute to the growing body of literature on the relationship between chronic disease and men’s testosterone levels.
Abstract
Testosterone levels in men appear to be prognostic of a number of disease outcomes, including severe COVID-19 disease. Testosterone levels naturally decline with age and are lower in individuals with a number of comorbidities and chronic conditions. Low testosterone may therefore be both a cause and a consequence of illness, including COVID-19 disease. The present project examines whether preexisting conditions for severe COVID-19 disease were themselves related to serum-free testosterone levels in men who had not been infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus. A clinical risk score for severe COVID-19 disease was computed based on the results of previously published meta-analyses and cohort studies, and relationships between this score and testosterone levels were tested in 142 men ages 19 to 82 years. Greater burden of preexisting conditions for severe COVID-19 disease was related to lower testosterone levels among men younger than 40 years of age. In older men, the decrease in testosterone that accompanies aging attenuated the effect of the clinical risk score on free testosterone levels. Given that older age itself is a predictor of COVID-19 disease severity, these results together suggest that the presence of preexisting conditions may confound the relationship between testosterone levels and COVID-19 disease outcomes in men. Future research examining relationships among testosterone and outcomes related to infectious and chronic diseases should consider potential confounds, such as the role of preexisting conditions.
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Fasting blood glucose at admission is an independent predictor for 28-day mortality in patients with COVID-19 without previous diagnosis of diabetes: a multi-centre retrospective study.
Wang, S, Ma, P, Zhang, S, Song, S, Wang, Z, Ma, Y, Xu, J, Wu, F, Duan, L, Yin, Z, et al
Diabetologia. 2020;63(10):2102-2111
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Hyperglycaemia was a risk factor for mortality from severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and is an independent risk factor for lower respiratory tract infection and poor prognosis. The aim of this retrospective study of 605 patients without previously diagnosed diabetes was to examine the association between fasting blood glucose (FBG) on admission and the 28-day in hospital mortality of COVID-19 patients. Patients with a FBG level of 7.0mmol/l or over had more than double the risk of dying than those with a level of 6.0mmol/l or less. Other risk factors for mortality included age, being male, and severity of pneumonia at admission. Compared with patients whose FBG was 6.0mmol/l or lower at admission, patients with FBG of 7.0 mmol/l and above had a 3.99 times higher risk of in-hospital complications, whilst those with FBG of 6.1–6.9 mmol/l had a 2.61 times higher risk of complications. The authors conclude that glycaemic testing and control are important to all COVID-19 patients even where they have no pre-existing diabetes.
Abstract
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS Hyperglycaemia is associated with an elevated risk of mortality in community-acquired pneumonia, stroke, acute myocardial infarction, trauma and surgery, among other conditions. In this study, we examined the relationship between fasting blood glucose (FBG) and 28-day mortality in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients not previously diagnosed as having diabetes. METHODS We conducted a retrospective study involving all consecutive COVID-19 patients with a definitive 28-day outcome and FBG measurement at admission from 24 January 2020 to 10 February 2020 in two hospitals based in Wuhan, China. Demographic and clinical data, 28-day outcomes, in-hospital complications and CRB-65 scores of COVID-19 patients in the two hospitals were analysed. CRB-65 is an effective measure for assessing the severity of pneumonia and is based on four indicators, i.e. confusion, respiratory rate (>30/min), systolic blood pressure (≤90 mmHg) or diastolic blood pressure (≤60 mmHg), and age (≥65 years). RESULTS Six hundred and five COVID-19 patients were enrolled, including 114 who died in hospital. Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that age (HR 1.02 [95% CI 1.00, 1.04]), male sex (HR 1.75 [95% CI 1.17, 2.60]), CRB-65 score 1-2 (HR 2.68 [95% CI 1.56, 4.59]), CRB-65 score 3-4 (HR 5.25 [95% CI 2.05, 13.43]) and FBG ≥7.0 mmol/l (HR 2.30 [95% CI 1.49, 3.55]) were independent predictors for 28-day mortality. The OR for 28-day in-hospital complications in those with FBG ≥7.0 mmol/l and 6.1-6.9 mmol/l vs <6.1 mmol/l was 3.99 (95% CI 2.71, 5.88) or 2.61 (95% CI 1.64, 4.41), respectively. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION FBG ≥7.0 mmol/l at admission is an independent predictor for 28-day mortality in patients with COVID-19 without previous diagnosis of diabetes. Glycaemic testing and control are important to all COVID-19 patients even where they have no pre-existing diabetes, as most COVID-19 patients are prone to glucose metabolic disorders. Graphical abstract.
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Possible long-term endocrine-metabolic complications in COVID-19: lesson from the SARS model.
Mongioì, LM, Barbagallo, F, Condorelli, RA, Cannarella, R, Aversa, A, La Vignera, S, Calogero, AE
Endocrine. 2020;68(3):467-470
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Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Little is known about how it affects the endocrine system and it is likely that some patients who have recovered may suffer long-term consequences. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) that caused the SARS outbreak in 2003 has many similarities. This editorial looks at the possible effects on the endocrine system of SARS-CoV-2 by looking at the long-term effects seen in SARS. In the case of SARS-CoV, it was thought that the virus could directly damage pancreatic cells leading to type 2 diabetes. It is hypothesized that Covid-19 patients could develop this condition by the same mechanism. Although no study on SARS reported the link between obesity and higher mortality rate, there is evidence that obese Covid-19 patients have worse clinical outcomes. There is no data yet for Covid-19, but adrenal insufficiency and impaired thyroid function were shown in some cases of SARS. To identify and treat any possible long-term effects of Covid-19, endocrinologists should monitor hormone levels and metabolic functions.
Abstract
The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is centralizing the interest of the scientific world. In the next months, long-term consequences on the endocrine system may arise following COVID-19. In this article, we hypothesized the effects of SARS-CoV-2 taking into account what learned from the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) that caused SARS in 2003.