Boosting levels of testosterone in therapy can significantly help male patients with type 2 diabetes respond actively to insulin, a new study revealed.

Experts at the University of Buffalo conducted the first-ever randomized, placebo-controlled and double-blind study that looked into the role of insulin resistance and inflammation before and after treatment with testosterone.

Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the study examined 94 men with type 2 diabetes, 44 of whom have low levels of testosterone. Researchers randomly chose participants who would receive testosterone injections and participants who would take a placebo every week for a span of 24 weeks.

The study found that participants with low levels of testosterone who were treated with the male hormone experienced a dramatic upsurge in insulin sensitivity, with a 32 percent increase in the body's uptake of glucose. A similar increase occurred in the expression of major genes that mediate insulin signaling. These findings are published online in the journal Diabetes Care.

Participants of the study also lost nearly 3.3 kilograms (7.3 pounds) of body fat on average while lean muscle mass increased by 3.4 kilograms (7.5 pounds). Experts said metabolically-active muscle tissue is produced by testosterone.

Researchers of the above study previously conducted an investigation in 2010 that found a link between low levels of testosterone and type 2 diabetes in men. In that previous study, they also found an association between obesity and low levels of the male hormone, in which 33 percent of males with type 2 diabetes - whether or not they were obese - and 25 percent of obese males without the disease had low levels of testosterone.

Dr. Paresh Dandona, the lead author of the studies, explained that testosterone may be an insulin-sensitizing and anti-inflammatory agent as it increases skeletal muscle and reduces adiposity.

Additionally, testosterone treatments affect the overall well-being of patients. "Testosterone treatment for men, where indicated, will improve sexual function and increase skeletal muscle strength and bone density," added Dandona.

Meanwhile, Dandona and his colleagues are also interested in how treatments with testosterone may affect inflammation and insulin resistance in patients with chronic renal failure, as well as patients with hypogonadism. They published a separate paper regarding the matter.

Photo: Tess Watson | Flickr