Study Finds Link Between Opioid Use, Hypogonadism

Pain Management

The first study to show a safety difference between short and long-acting opioids also revealed a link between testosterone levels among men using the opioids daily to treat chronic pain, according to a Pain Medicine News report.

Nearly three-fourths of patients taking long-acting opioids on a daily basis were found to be hypogonadal, compared with a third of men on short-acting agents, the study found. Researchers also found a "small" association between testosterone level and body mass index.

"This is a huge problem," said lead investigator Andrea Rubinstein, MD, of the high rate of hypogonadism. "There were only 80 men in the study, but 51 percent didn't make it to 250 ng/dL. You'd have to be worried about osteoporosis in these guys; 250 is enough to maintain bone density but that is not necessarily the level where they are going to feel well."

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