About 40% of Men Have Low-T – and it Doubles the Risk of Severe COVID

Did you know that more men have been dying from COVID than women? Does this surprise you? Perhaps not, but according to the math, about 50 percent more men have died from the Coronavirus than women since the whole thing began. What could cause such a disparity? Well, we know that men have vastly different hormones than women, for one, especially testosterone levels. It is what makes men, MEN. Because of this significant difference, researchers have been investigating what role hormones play in contracting COVID-10 and the health risks involved. It appears that men with low levels of testosterone are more than twice as likely to experience severe COVID-19 symptoms than men with normal or higher levels of the sex hormone.

Unvaccinated Men with Low-T are More Likely to Be Hospitalized

In fact, the study we are discussing in this article showed that men who did not get the vaccine AND have low levels of testosterone are more likely to end up in the hospital from COVID-19 infection. This research was conducted at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. It was suggested that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with testosterone injections would reduce this risk, keeping men healthier and better able to fight the infection.

In the study, a total of 723 unvaccinated men were evaluated who had different degrees of low testosterone, or hypogonadism. Out of all of the men, 116 were diagnosed with hypogonadism and 180 were already on a testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) program.

Specifically, men with testosterone levels below 200 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL) were 2.4 times more likely to succumb to a severe infection of the Coronavirus. 200 ng/dL is what defines clinically low testosterone, or hypogonadism, a true hormone deficiency. These men were also twice as likely to end up in the hospital.

Maintain Hormone Balance and Fight Infections More Efficiently

A professor of endocrinology and medicine who was not involved in the study described the findings of the research as “fundamental.” Paresh Dandona, MD, Phd, is considered a health expert from the State University of New York. He states, “In the world of hypogonadism, this is the first to show that low testosterone makes you vulnerable.

“All obese and all [men with] type 2 diabetes should be tested for testosterone even if they have no symptoms. Certainly, those with symptoms [of low testosterone] but no diagnosis, they should be tested too.”

Other factors could be at play here as to why women are doing better than men, despite this new research. A professor of medicine at Washington University, Abhinav Diwan, who participated in the study, says, “They [women] have followed public guidelines a lot better. It may be chromosomal and not necessarily hormonal. The differences between men and women go beyond one factor.”

However, testosterone deficiency causes a host of problems for men that could, in turn, make them more susceptible to experiencing severe symptoms and not fighting the infection as well as they could otherwise. Low testosterone can cause things like muscle loss, weight gain, depression and anxiety as well as increased mortality risks associated with heart issues. Hormone imbalance could affect a man’s health detrimentally in a multitude of ways – probably in more ways than we even know about at this point in time. It’s all so complex. The best thing you can do is to get your testosterone levels (and other hormones as well) checked on an annual basis. This is super easy to do, and our clinic can get you started and walk you through the process. We can get you in contact with a hormone blood testing center nearest to you. Protect yourself against COVID-19 and other health issues as best as you can, using all the tools available to you, including maintaining hormone integrity.

Word Count: 635