SARS-CoV-2, testosterone and frailty in males (PROTEGGIMI): A multidimensional research project.
Alessia d'ArmaGiovanni CoronaAleksander GiwercmanMario MaggiSukhbinder MinhasRossella Elena NappiNikolaos SofikitisLinda VignozziPublished in: Andrology (2020)
Preliminary published data depict a much greater prevalence of males with laboratory-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) referred for intensive care unit admission and severe sequelae in several countries. In this context, males seem to not only be more susceptible to the infection compared to female subjects, at least in Western countries, but their case fatality rate attributable to SARS-CoV-2 infection is also highest. Therefore, we may speculate that the different hormonal milieu could have a more profound pathophysiological role in association with SARS-CoV-2, with endogenous testosterone leaving men more prone to develop more serious complications related to the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Another option is that SARS-CoV-2 infection per se causes an acute stage of male hypogonadism, the depletion of androgenic action triggering serious or an even fatal course of the disease. Therefore, we strongly advocate the development of a prospective multidimensional andrological translational research project in men, which we called the PROTEGGIMI study. In this Opinion Article, we will not only highlight novel research activity in this area but also invite other researchers and learned scientific societies to join us in our efforts to understand an important and very newly discovered gap in knowledge, which may have serious implications for the lives of millions of men.
Keyphrases
- respiratory syndrome coronavirus
- sars cov
- intensive care unit
- quality improvement
- replacement therapy
- middle aged
- coronavirus disease
- risk factors
- emergency department
- healthcare
- drug induced
- liver failure
- south africa
- early onset
- respiratory failure
- electronic health record
- intellectual disability
- metabolic syndrome
- polycystic ovary syndrome
- mechanical ventilation
- randomized controlled trial
- machine learning
- psychometric properties
- skeletal muscle
- artificial intelligence
- smoking cessation
- community dwelling
- aortic dissection