The Study
RETHINKING LOW TESTOSTERONE IN OLDER MEN: ASSOCIATION WITH OBESITY RATHER THAN AGING.
This study looked at a bunch of men and noticed that those with bigger waistlines tended to have lower testosterone. But it didn’t change anything on purpose, so we can’t say that being overweight causes low testosterone—just that they often happen together.
Analysis score
Maximum 72 for a cohort study.
Where the score came from
This study looked at thousands of men to find out why some have low testosterone — and found it's not because they're older, but because they have more belly fat.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 547 / 100
Quality score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — having a large waist is far more likely to cause low testosterone than getting older, meaning losing belly fat could help restore healthy hormone levels.
- 2Testosterone levels stayed about the same from age 45 to 85+.
- 3But if a man had a waist over 110 cm, 44% had low testosterone — compared to only 8% if his waist was under 93 cm.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Urology
Year
2025
Authors
Taciana Leonel Nunes Tiraboschi, E. Miranda, M. Novaes, C. Silva, Jean Carlos Zambrano Contreras, J.S.T. Filho, Ernesto Reggio, C. Suartz, C. M. Gomes, J. de Bessa
Related Content
Claims (4)
Men aged middle age and older with a waist circumference over 102 cm have a higher rate of low testosterone levels than men with smaller waists, with the rate rising from 8% to 44% as waist size increases from 93 cm to 110 cm.
Among men aged 45 and older, the average level of testosterone does not change with age, and about 20% of men in every age group have low testosterone.
Men with larger waist sizes have a higher rate of low testosterone. Among men with a waist size of 93 cm or less, 8% have low testosterone; among men with a waist size of 110 cm or more, 44% have low testosterone.
Between 1972 and 2019, the average testosterone level in men dropped by 54%, which equals more than a 1% decrease each year.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.