Hypogonadism is common in men with myopathies.
BACKGROUND
Hypogonadism has been described in patients with myotonic muscular dystrophy type 1 but has not been evaluated in other myopathies.


METHODS
We measured total and free serum testosterone levels in 59 men with myotonic muscular dystrophy type 1 (N = 12), facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (N = 11), dystrophinopathy (N = 12), metabolic myopathy (N = 7), and inclusion body myositis (N = 17) and compared these with the normal reference interval.


RESULTS
Thirty-two of the 59 (54%) participants had low total testosterone, 23 (39%) had low total and free values, and 5 (8%) had low free with normal total levels. There were no significant differences in the prevalence of hypogonadism between those with myotonic muscular dystrophy type 1 and the other groups even after considering age as a confounder.


CONCLUSIONS
Hypogonadism is common in men with myopathies, and with the importance of testosterone in the maintenance of muscle mass, treatment of hypogonadism should be considered.
Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Talal M
TM
Al-Harbi
Laura J
LJ
Bainbridge
Matthew J
MJ
McQueen
Mark A
MA
Tarnopolsky
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D007006:Hypogonadism / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications; D009136:Muscular Dystrophies / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D020391:Muscular Dystrophy, Facioscapulohumeral / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D018979:Myositis, Inclusion Body / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D009223:Myotonic Dystrophy / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*
D013739:Testosterone