The Study
Type 2 diabetes mellitus but not overweight/obesity reduces testicular volume and endocrine function in men
This study looked at a group of men with diabetes and a group without, and noticed that the ones with diabetes tended to have smaller testicles and lower testosterone. But it didn’t watch them over time or change anything — so we can’t say diabetes caused it, just that the two things happened together.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
This study looked at men with and without type 2 diabetes to see how their testicles and hormone levels compare.
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 540 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Smaller testicles and lower testosterone in diabetic men may mean reduced reproductive health, but the link between bigger testicles and higher weight in diabetics is unexpected and needs more study.
- 2Diabetic men had much lower testosterone and smaller testicles than non-diabetic men, even if they weren't overweight.
- 3In obese diabetic men, bigger testicles were linked to higher weight and waist size.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Journal of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes of South Africa
Year
2025
Authors
E. Musa, GC Musa, E. Salazar-Petres, F. Bello, A. Bakari
Related Content
Claims (4)
Low testosterone levels result in a reduction in testicle size.
Men with type 2 diabetes mellitus have smaller testicles on average than men without the disease, regardless of whether they are obese.
Men with type 2 diabetes have lower levels of total and free testosterone than men of the same age without diabetes, even when body weight is the same.
In men with type 2 diabetes, larger testicular volume is associated with higher body weight and larger waist size.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.