Guidelines recommend that all patients with ED as part check details of a minimum assessment should have testosterone measured. By adhering to NICE guidance recommending an annual enquiry in regard to sexual health, diabetologists are already screening for hypogonadism in the diabetic clinic. There is currently no recommendation that testosterone be checked in all diabetic men. The recently updated clinical practice guideline of the American Endocrine Society does say that they suggest measurement

of testosterone in men with type 2 diabetes.22 The benefits of TRT on sexual function and on body composition in hypogonadal men have been recognised for several years and this therapy is a recognised and established treatment for the condition. There is accumulating evidence that TRT may have specific benefits on metabolic and cardiovascular parameters PLX3397 purchase in men with type 2 diabetes. When replacing testosterone the aim should be to try and achieve as near normal

physiological replacement as possible. The importance of this is underlined by a recent publication of a study designed to determine the effects of the hormone on frailty where testosterone doses used in frail elderly men with established co-morbidities exceeded those used in normal clinical practice.23

It is important to recognise that this study was not powered to detect a significant increase in cardiovascular events but did report more cardiovascular-related symptoms/events in the testosterone treatment group. The cardiovascular-related events were heterogeneous and included oedema, which would be expected in high testosterone dose therapy, and self-reported symptoms such as syncope. A similar study using normal testosterone gel dosing did not show an increase in cardiovascular events.24 These findings, however, demonstrate that larger and longer-term Abiraterone ic50 studies are needed to verify the cardiovascular and metabolic action of testosterone replacement in men with diabetes. It also underlines the importance of making a correct diagnosis of hypogonadism and, if indicated, treating with testosterone replacement to attain serum testosterone levels usually in the mid-normal to upper normal range.25 THJ is a consultant for ProStrakan as a chief investigator of the TIMES2 study. He has also been a member of advisory boards and has received honoraria for educational lectures from Bayer-Schering Pharma, ProStrakan and Ferring. He has received no funding for the preparation of this article. References are available online at www.practicaldiabetesinternational.com.