While hormone therapies can improve body composition and glucolipid metabolism in patients with CHH, this imperfect treatment does not fully rescue body composition abnormalities when compared to healthy individuals.
Key Findings
Results
Treated CHH patients had lower serum testosterone levels and worse body composition compared to healthy controls despite hormone therapy.
Treated group had lower serum testosterone levels compared to healthy controls (p < 0.001)
Treated patients had increased body fat percentage (BFP) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) volume compared to controls (p < 0.05)
Treated patients had decreased lean soft tissue (LST) and bone mineral content (BMC) compared to controls (p < 0.05)
Therapy duration in the treated group was 4.8 ± 2.3 years
66 CHH patients and 21 healthy controls were recruited; treated and untreated groups each had n = 33
Results
Hormone therapy improved body composition in CHH patients, with several parameters reaching healthy control levels.
Treated group had higher serum testosterone levels compared to untreated group (p < 0.001)
Treated group had decreased BFP and VAT volume, increased LST and BMC compared to untreated group (p < 0.05)
VAT volume, LST, BMC, HOMA-IR, and QUICKI reached healthy control levels in the treated group (p > 0.05)
BFP did not normalize to healthy control levels despite treatment
Results
Untreated CHH patients had abnormal adipokine profiles, with elevated leptin and decreased adiponectin compared to healthy controls.
Treated group had increased serum leptin levels accompanied by decreased adiponectin (ADP) compared to healthy controls (p < 0.05)
Treated group had decreased serum leptin levels compared to untreated group (p < 0.001)
Serum testosterone levels were independently negatively correlated with leptin levels (β = -0.277, p = 0.004) in multiple stepwise linear regression analysis
Results
Hormone therapy improved insulin resistance markers in CHH patients, with treated patients reaching healthy control levels.
Compared to healthy controls, treated CHH patients had higher HOMA-IR with lower QUICKI (p < 0.05)
Compared to untreated group, treated group had decreased HOMA-IR accompanied by increased QUICKI (p < 0.05)
HOMA-IR and QUICKI in the treated group reached healthy control levels (p > 0.05)
Abnormal metabolic parameters in CHH patients were associated with increased fat mass and abnormal serum leptin levels
Results
Serum testosterone levels were independently correlated with body composition parameters in multiple stepwise linear regression analysis.
Serum testosterone levels were negatively correlated with BFP (β = -0.564, p < 0.001)
Serum testosterone levels were negatively correlated with VAT volume (β = -0.260, p = 0.045)
Serum testosterone levels were positively correlated with LST (β = 0.305, p = 0.018)
Serum testosterone levels were positively correlated with BMC (β = 0.423, p = 0.001)
Methods
Body composition was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in a study of 66 CHH patients and 21 healthy controls.
Patients were divided into untreated (n = 33) and treated (n = 33) groups based on hormone therapy history
Adipokines and metabolic parameters were measured in all participants
Multiple stepwise linear regression analysis was used to identify independent correlates of body composition and metabolic parameters
Outcome measures included BFP, VAT volume, LST, BMC, leptin, adiponectin, HOMA-IR, and QUICKI
Zhang R, Mao J, Nie M, Wang X, Xu T, Chen F, et al.. (2025). Body Composition, Adipocytokine, and Metabolic Parameters in Men With Congenital Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism.. Clinical endocrinology. https://doi.org/10.1111/cen.15189