Low-T Significantly Increases COVID-19 Risks

A new study found men with symptomatic COVID-19, who were found to have low testosterone, were more likely to become severely ill and die from the disease. The study, carried out in Milan, Italy, during the first wave of coronavirus in 2020.

These researchers found that the lower the levels of testosterone, the higher the likelihood that male patients would need intensive care, be intubated on a ventilator, and remain in hospital over a longer period.

The likelihood of these men dying from COVID-19 increased six-fold.

The findings are presented at the European Association of Urology Congress, EAU21, which runs this week from July 8-12, 2021.

Even when age, pre-existing conditions, and body mass index were considered, the differences in hormonal profiles and clinical outcomes were still stark.

Professor Andrea Salonia, a specialist in urology and endocrinology at San Raffaele Hospital, stated in a press release issued on July 6, 2021, "At the start of the Covid pandemic, we were seeing far more men than women coming to the hospital and suffering very severe forms of the disease."

"We immediately thought this might be related to male hormone levels, particularly testosterone."

"The relationship is very clear: the lower the testosterone, the higher the severity of the condition and likelihood of death. I've never seen anything like it in my 25 years in the field."

Because the research team did not have data on the testosterone levels in the patients before they contracted Covid-19, they cannot say whether low testosterone was a pre-existing long-term condition that exacerbated the disease or whether a SARS-COV-2 coronavirus infection caused it.