Cardiovasc Diabetol

Renal and cardiac benefits observed with testosterone therapy in men with diabetes

October 14, 2025

Study details: This retrospective cohort study used data from the TriNetX Research Collaborative network to evaluate the impact of testosterone therapy on renal and cardiovascular outcomes in men with diabetes and hypogonadism. Researchers identified 26,027 testosterone-treated men and matched them 1:1 to untreated controls using propensity scores. Primary outcomes: acute kidney injury (AKI) and kidney failure requiring replacement therapy; secondary outcomes: MI, ischemic stroke, afib, and all-cause mortality. Mean follow-up was 3.3 years.

Results: Testosterone therapy was associated with significantly lower risks of AKI (hazard ratio [HR], 0.93; p=0.01) and kidney failure requiring replacement therapy (HR, 0.81; p=0.001). Cardiovascular outcomes also improved: MI (HR, 0.85; p<0.0001), ischemic stroke (HR, 0.88; p=0.01), afib (HR, 0.91; p=0.01), and all-cause mortality (HR, 0.85; p<0.0001), all with statistically significant reductions.

Clinical impact: These findings suggest that testosterone therapy may confer renal and cardiovascular protection in diabetic men with hypogonadism. While causality cannot be confirmed, the consistent risk reductions across multiple outcomes support considering testosterone therapy more broadly in this population, pending further prospective validation.

Source:

Bonnet F, et al. (2025, October 1). Cardiovasc Diabetol. Testosterone therapy is associated with reduced risk of acute kidney injury, kidney failure with renal replacement therapy, and cardiovascular events in men with diabetes and hypogonadism. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41035033/