Pituitary-gonadal system dysfunction in middle-aged men with an uncontrolled asthma

The functional state of the pituitary–gonadal system is investigated in 90 middle-aged men with the uncontrolled asthma and 35 healthy volunteers. According to the severity of the disease, the patients were stratified into two groups: moderate and severe. To assess the symptoms of an androgen deficiency and sexual dysfunction, the “Aging Males’ Symptoms” and the “International Index of the Erectile Function” were used. The activity of the pituitary–gonadal system was assessed by determining the serum levels of testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin, prolactin, estradiol, luteinizing and follicle-stimulating hormone as well as cortisol. It was found that in patients suffering from asthma, symptoms of androgen deficiency and sexual dysfunction are revealed significantly more often than in the healthy middle-aged men, and the severity of these disorders depends on the severity of the disease. At the same time, in patients suffering from asthma, before the treatment, there was a significant decrease in the serum level of androgens, cortisol, and an increase in the sex hormone binding globulin, luteinizing and follicle-stimulating hormone, depending on the severity of the disease, in comparison with healthy subjects. After the treatment, the levels of sex hormone binding globulin, luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone were restored, while the levels of androgens and cortisol remained reduced. A significant decrease in the level of prolactin was detected only after the treatment in patients suffering from a severe asthma. Thus, in middle-aged men with an uncontrolled asthma, symptoms of androgen deficiency, and dysfunction of the pituitary–gonadal and reproductive systems are significantly more common than in the healthy individuals of the same age. Moreover, the severity of these disorders is influenced not only by the severity of the asthma, but also by the treatment with the systemic corticosteroids.