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.
Al-Harbi
Talal M
TM
Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Bainbridge
Laura J
LJ
McQueen
Matthew J
MJ
Tarnopolsky
Mark A
MA
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