Clinical Review
Effect of Statins on Total Testosterone Levels in Male Veterans
Fed Pract. 2012 September;29(9):35
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Muhammad Jawad Sethi, MD; and William P. Newman, MD
The conversion of cholesterol to pregnenolone is the rate-limiting step in steroidogenesis. Statins act by inhibiting HMG CoA reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis. On this basis, statins could potentially decrease serum testosterone levels by reducing the availability of cholesterol for androgen biosynthesis.(1-3)