Low Testosterone Indicates Worse COVID-19 Outcomes for Men

According to a new study published in the JAMA Network Open on May 25, 2021, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare providers have seen evidence that men with COVID-19 fare worse, on average, than women.

One theory is that hormonal differences between men and women may make men more susceptible to severe COVID-19.

And since men have much more testosterone than women, some scientists have speculated that high testosterone levels may be to blame.

However, a study from Washington University School of Medicine researchers suggests that, among men, the opposite may be true.

In a cohort study of 152 patients with COVID-19, including 143 patients hospitalized, testosterone concentrations at presentation and on day 3 were inversely associated with disease severity and circulating inflammatory cytokine concentrations in men but not in women.

This study could not prove that low testosterone is a cause of severe COVID-19. And low levels could serve as a marker of some other causal factors.

Still, the researchers urge caution with ongoing clinical trials investigating hormonal therapies that block or lower testosterone or increase estrogen treatment for men with COVID-19.