Testosterone Disorders and Male Hypogonadism in Kidney Disease

Giacomo Garibotto; Pasquale Esposito; Daniela Picciotto; Daniela Verzola

doi:10.1016/j.semnephrol.2021.03.006

Testosterone Disorders and Male Hypogonadism in Kidney Disease

Semin Nephrol. 2021 Mar;41(2):114-125. doi: 10.1016/j.semnephrol.2021.03.006.

Authors

Giacomo Garibotto¹, Pasquale Esposito², Daniela Picciotto², Daniela Verzola²

Affiliations

¹ Division of Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation, University of Genova, Genova, Italy Department of Internal Medicine, Istituto di Ricerca a Carattere Scientifico Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova Italy. Electronic address: gari@unige.it.
² Division of Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation, University of Genova, Genova, Italy Department of Internal Medicine, Istituto di Ricerca a Carattere Scientifico Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova Italy.

PMID: 34140090
DOI: 10.1016/j.semnephrol.2021.03.006

Abstract

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) causes substantial alterations in the male endocrine system, which affect puberty, libido, and sexual function. A major effect of CKD is a reduction in testosterone levels because of both primary and hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism. In addition to impairment of pubertal growth and sexual maturation in children with CKD, clinical evidence suggests that uremic hypogonadism strongly contributes to several CKD complications, including erectile dysfunction, muscle wasting and frailty, anemia, decreased bone mineralization, depression, and cognitive impairment. This review focuses on a reappraisal of the physiologic role of testosterone, with an emphasis on the hypogonadal condition linked to CKD and its complications.

Keywords: Androgen; CKD; cardiovascular disease; frailty; protein-energy wasting.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Child
Erectile Dysfunction* / etiology
Humans
Hypogonadism* / complications
Libido
Male
Renal Insufficiency, Chronic* / complications
Testosterone

Substances

Testosterone