He works in addiction medicine, so is very passionate about decreasing substance abuse, combating homelessness and improving mental health. Shiv Sudhakar, M.D., is an infectious disease specialist and health contributor to NBC News Health. In those cases, testosterone testing can help diagnose conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, adrenal disorders or rare tumors. This range is important because it helps protect your body from diabetes-related complications. Here's what you need to do when your blood glucose level drops low. If you have new and persistent symptoms, it’s important to talk to your healthcare provider. Doctors use testosterone therapy to help men with low levels of this hormone. When testosterone levels are low, the body may become more resistant to insulin. When testosterone levels are too low, men may feel tired, gain weight, lose muscle, and develop other health problems. It also affects how the body uses insulin and controls blood sugar. When used correctly and monitored closely, testosterone therapy may help improve health and quality of life in certain men with diabetes. It is the main sex hormone in males, although women have small amounts of it too. Some people are concerned about possible side effects, such as heart problems or changes in prostate health. These early findings are exciting, but more research is needed to fully understand the benefits and risks. Both of these health problems are becoming more common, and research shows they may be connected in ways that doctors are still working to fully understand. Testosterone therapy is not the same as taking steroids for bodybuilding. If symptoms like loud snoring, gasping at night, or daytime sleepiness become worse during therapy, further testing may be needed. Testosterone therapy may make sleep apnea worse in some men, especially those who are overweight or have other risk factors. It may increase the risk of blood clots, stroke, or heart attack, especially in older men or those who smoke. While red blood cells are needed to carry oxygen, too many of them can make the blood thicker than normal. The study findings were presented this Monday at ENDO 2025, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in San Francisco. It was a retrospective study, meaning the researchers analyzed existing medical records over time, rather than conducting a randomized clinical trial. Increases in haematocrit might be treatment limiting. This therapy improved glycemic control, decreased total cholesterol, HDL levels, and triglycerides, and reduced body mass index and waist circumference. In a study, researchers discovered that the testosterone treatment group improved their waist circumference, weight, fasting glucose, HBA1c, blood pressure, lipid profiles, and liver enzymes . This comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 studies comprising 3002 patients investigated the effects of testosterone replacement treatment in hypogonadal males with type 2 diabetes compared to the control group (T2DM). In addition, long-term testosterone therapy has been proposed to reduce the risk of prediabetes developing into type 2 diabetes and to improve the quality of life in men with hypogonadotropic hypergonadism, as measured by the Aging Male Symptoms (AMS) questionnaire . Based on our results, we hypothesize that TRT can improve glycemic control and hormone levels, as well as lower total cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL cholesterol levels while raising HDL cholesterol in hypogonadal type 2 diabetes patients. When low blood glucose isn’t treated and you need someone to help you treat it, it’s considered severe hypoglycemia. Understanding what causes your blood glucose to go down is important so you can steps to prevent lows from happening. It is especially common for people with type 1 diabetes or people with type 2 diabetes taking insulin or other similar medications. When your blood glucose begins to drop below 70 mg/dL, it's important to treat it quickly to prevent it going lower. This is usually when your blood glucose is less than 70 mg/dL. Men with known sleep apnea should tell their doctor before starting testosterone. In some cases, blood may be drawn (called therapeutic phlebotomy) to reduce the red cell count. If the PSA level goes up quickly during therapy, further testing may be needed. However, therapy can cause the prostate to grow, which might lead to problems like trouble urinating or increased need to urinate at night.