Sleep Apnea, Reproductive Hormones and Quality of Sexual Life in Severely Obese Men
Open accessAbstract
The effect of sleep apnea on the reproductive function of obese men is not entirely elucidated. The objective of this study was to define the effect of sleep apnea on the reproductive hormones and sexual function in obese men. This study included 89 severely obese men with BMI ≥35 kg/m 2 considering gastric bypass surgery. Anthropometrics (weight, and BMI), reproductive hormones, and sleep studies were measured. The sexual quality of life was assessed using the Impact of Weight on Quality of Life‐Lite questionnaire (IWQOL‐Lite). The mean age of our patients was 46.9 ± 11.0 years, the mean BMI was 47.8 ± 8.7 kg/m 2 and the mean weight was 337.7 ± 62.4 lb. After correction for age and BMI, means of free testosterone per severity group of sleep apnea were as follows: no or mild sleep apnea 74.4 ± 3.8 pg/ml, moderate sleep apnea 68.6 ± 4.2 pg/ml, and severe sleep apnea 60.2 ± 2.92 pg/ml, P = 0.014. All other parameters of sleep apnea including hypopnea index, percent time below a SpO 2 of 90%, and percent time below a SpO 2 of 80% were also negatively correlated with testosterone levels after correction for age and BMI. BMI and presence of coronary artery disease decreased the sexual quality of life. Sleep apnea was associated with reduced sexual quality of life. In summary, sleep apnea negatively affects testosterone levels independent of BMI. Severely obese men had decreased sexual quality of life.
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In older men, higher degrees of hypoxemia, as a marker of more severe OSA, are associated with lower testosterone concentrations.
“higher degrees of hypoxemia, as a marker of more severe OSA, are associated with lower testosterone concentrations [37, 104–106].”
From Sleep, testosterone and cortisol balance, and ageing men (2022) · cites this paper as [105]
The Discussion (page unavailable) reports that oxygen-saturation measures of sleep-apnea severity were associated with lower free testosterone in severely obese men. The Results (page unavailable) give a mean participant age of 46.9 years; the paper does not establish this association specifically in older men. (LLM, conf=0.87)
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References 24 · Cited by 62
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- Authors
- Hammoud, A. O., Walker, J. M., Gibson, M., Cloward, T. V., Hunt, S. C., Kolotkin, R. L., Adams, T. D., & Meikle, A. W.
- Affiliations
- University of Utah (US)
- Intermountain Healthcare (US)
- Duke Medical Center (US)
- Corresponding author
- Hammoud, Ahmad O.
- Venue
- Obesity
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2011-06
- Volume
- 19
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 1118-1123
- ISSN
- 1930-7381 (ISSN-L)
- 1930-739X
- PMC
- PMC3713783
- OpenAlex
- W2025042073
- Cited by
- 62
- References
- 24
- Citations by year
- 2025: 5 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 3.71
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Obesity (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- ARUP Laboratories
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (Z01DK055006, R01DK055006)
- National Center for Research Resources (M01-RR 00064, M01RR000064)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Obstructive Sleep Apnea Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Hormonal and reproductive studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Sexual function and dysfunction studies
- Keywords
- sleep apnea, morbid obesity, male reproductive hormones, testosterone, sexual quality of life, sexual function, gastric bypass, coronary artery disease, body mass index, hypopnea index, oxygen desaturation
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Coronary Artery Disease, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Obesity, Oxygen, Quality of Life, Surveys and Questionnaires, Severity of Illness Index, Sleep Apnea Syndromes, Testosterone, Time Factors, Utah, Body Mass Index, Sexuality
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