(292) Underneath the White Coat: Testosterone Deficiency in Male Resident Physicians

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Resident physicians are a vulnerable population often subjected to long working hours, atypical sleep schedules, and high stress working environments. These conditions have been associated with hypogonadism in other populations, but hypogonadism has been inadequately studied in this unique population. Symptoms of hypogonadism have a high degree of overlap with conditions such as burnout and depression, both of which have been well-established in this population. Objective This study aims to examine the prevalence of hypogonadism among male resident physicians, a demographic susceptible to conditions contributing to hormone deficiencies due to their demanding work environment. Methods This is a prospective study to evaluate male physicians in medical training who voluntarily participated in wellness screening at our institution. Following approval by the Institutional Review Board, residents at a high-volume tertiary referral center were contacted via e-mail regarding participation in men’s health screening. Baseline demographics were obtained including age, specialty, and post-graduation year (PGY). Participants were asked to complete the Androgen Deficiency in the Aging Male (ADAM) and 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaires in additional to obtaining lab work: BMP, CBC, Lipid panel, thyroid panel, testosterone, FSH, LSH, and estradiol. Survey questionnaire data was obtained through Research Electronic Data Capture (RedCAP). Results Out of 651 male residents and fellows contacted, 27 residents responded (4.1%) with 66.7% (18/27) completing surveys and 33.3% (6/18) undergoing lab tests. Two-thirds (4/6) of these participants had total testosterone levels <400ng/dl and two participants met serum criteria for hypogonadism. Half (9/18) of participants scored positively in their ADAM responses. 44.4% (8/18) reported their health as worse compared to a year prior (Table 1). Conclusions The preliminary findings suggest a significant prevalence of hypogonadism symptoms among male resident physicians. Given the severe impact of hypogonadism on overall health and work productivity, implementing wellness screening among this population could lead to earlier detection and management. However, additional research is required, especially considering the low response rate of this study. Disclosure Any of the authors act as a consultant, employee or shareholder of an industry for: Tolmar Pharmaceuticals.