Abstract 70: Hypogonadism in male covid 19 survivors – A prospective study

Introduction and Aims: Covid 19 can invade the testes directly by through the ACE2 receptors. It can also affect the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, thus disrupting the HPG axis. We aimed to assess the HPG axis in male survivors of Covid 19 about 3-5 months after recovery from Covid 19 infection. Methods: This was a prospective study conducted at a tertiary centre in southern India. Adult male patients were enrolled for the study 3-5 months after recovery from Covid 19 infection. Hypogonadism was defined as low testosterone (total testosterone <241 ng/dl) or borderline low testosterone (total testosterone 241-317 ng/dl) with low free testosterone (<6.3 ng/dl). Primary hypogonadism was defined as hypogonadism with LH 39.4 mIU/ml and secondary with LH <9.4 mIU/ml. Results: We recruited a total of 85 subjects. The mean age of our study population was 49.50 ± 12.73 years. 24 (28.24%), 21 (24.71%), and 40 (47.06%) patients had mild, moderate and severe Covid 19 infection. Hypogonadism was seen in 21 (24.7%) study subjects. The predominant pattern of hypogonadism was secondary seen in 20 subjects (95%). Younger age, higher BMI and use of remdesivir were significantly associated with hypogonadism. The prevalence of hypogonadism was not associated with severity of illness, the extent of pulmonary involvement or the duration of hospitalisation. Conclusion: We found a high prevalence of hypogonadism in male subjects 3-5 months after acute infection. Male Covid 19 patients should be followed after acute infection for symptoms suggestive of hypogonadism. Future studies are needed to improve our knowledge regarding the sexual dysfunction seen in post covid phase.