Insulin resistance and low levels of testosterone and SHBG in male offspring of type2 diabetic parents - Risk of development of hypogonadism in the offspring

Aim: to evaluate differences if any in the pituitary-gonadal status of male offspring of diabetic and normal parents,at an early age and to investigate the hormonal relationship with insulin resistance for timely diagnosis and management of the hormonal deregulation and its sequale in adolescent and young males. design: it was a cross-sectional,analytical study which involved 80 subjects and was conducted on male subjects between 20-30 y of age. methods: groups of subjects with one diabetic parent (n=40) were compared with an equal number of age matched male offspring of healthy non diabetic parents (n=40). fasting blood glucose,serum insulin,lh,total testosterone and sex hormone binding globulin were measured using standard kits. waist circumference (wc) was measured. body mass index and insulin resistance index were calculated. results: mean fasting insulin and insulin resistance (p=0.000) as assessed by homa-ir,body mass index and waist circumference were significantly higher in study subjects while mean total testosterone and sex hormone binding globulin levels (p=0.000) were significantly low in study subjects than controls. also insulin resistance correlated inversely with sex hormone binding globulin while serum testosterone correlated directly with sex hormone binding globulin in offspring of study group. conclusion: hyperinsulinemia,insulin resistance,low levels of sex hormone binding globulin and low testosterone and negative correlation between insulin resistance and sex hormone binding globulin while direct correlation between sex hormone binding globulin and testostero,leading to potential susceptibility of offspring of type-2 diabetics to develop clinical hypogonadism witne are suggestive of a possible causal relationship between insulin resistance and androgen deficiencyh advancing age.