Mumbai: Should low testosterone levels be made an additional criterion for bariatric or surgical treatment? Weight Loss Surgery,

A study conducted by a local bariatric surgeon, which was published in a listed medical journal, showed that six out of 10 obese patients who visited him had low levels of the primary male hormone.

“Given the findings of this first study of its kind in India, I think we should answer the question about the inclusion of the following Testosterone deficiency as an additional qualification bariatric surgerysaid surgeon Dr. Shashank Shah, lead author of the study.

Low testosterone is associated with: obesity This has been happening for decades. Scientists say fat cells convert testosterone into the hormone estrogen, leading to a deficiency of the male hormone. Also, without enough testosterone, the conversion of blood sugar is affected and eventually leads to diabetes.

The latest study, published in Springer-Nature’s indexed journal ‘Obesity Surgery’, looked at 134 men aged 18 to 30 years with a BMI (body mass index) greater than 32.5 kg/m2. Their BMI, total and free testosterone levels and clinical features such as gynecomastia (enlargement of mammary gland tissue in boys or men), hypogonadism (misfunctioning of the testes) and thinning of pubic and armpit hair were noted.

“We found that 60 percent of patients Low testosterone levels And the other 20 per cent had borderline counts,” he said.

The study concluded that testosterone levels in obese young men showed a trend of decreasing with increasing BMI.

The doctor said that some obese patients wear jackets in summer because they are worried about the size of their breasts. He said that many parents are worried that their son’s physical development is being hampered due to excessive weight.

“The actual incidence of hypotestosteronemia (testosterone deficiency) and its symptoms in young adults may be much higher than what is reported in the literature. We need to study this trend in detail,” the doctor said.

There is another reason why testosterone is important; even though it is primarily considered a male sex hormone, it also plays a role in a person’s emotional well-being. Its levels affect cognitive functions and the risk of depression in both men and women.

“Testosterone is important for motivation, commitment and compliance. When commitment or compliance is lacking, testosterone levels can decrease,” Dr. Shah said.

Given the importance of the hormone, their study proposes that its reduction should be included as one of the criteria for bariatric surgery, the term used to describe weight-loss operations.

Delhi-based Dr Randeep Wadhawan, who is president of the Obesity Surgery Society of India, said, “Previous studies have shown that testosterone levels are linked to obesity and diabetes. Testosterone deficiency can lead to obesity which leads to metabolic syndrome in which people have increased levels of cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar,” said the doctor, who consults at Max Super Speciality Hospital in New Delhi.

Dr Wadhawan said the ‘Obesity Surgery’ study is probably one of the few studies in India linking testosterone to obesity, and bariatric surgery could be an option.

“We tell people to lose weight to increase their testosterone levels, but that doesn’t always work. People need to lose 20 per cent of their weight to see any change in their testosterone levels, and that’s something bariatric surgery can help with,” he said.

However, not all doctors agree. Senior endocrinologist Dr Shashank Joshi said there is no scientific basis to link low testosterone to bariatric surgery. “Surgery has no role in testosterone. The person should be evaluated and treated carefully by an endocrinologist based on evidence,” Dr Joshi said. A senior doctor from a government hospital said some men have low testosterone even without being obese. “How can weight loss surgery help such a person,” he asked.