Research professor of the Health Sciences Area receives award for her doctoral thesis
SANTO DOMINGO. - The Dr. Berniza Calderón Pineda, research professor of the Area of Health Sciences of the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC), received the "Extraordinary Doctorate Award ”, granted by the Official Postgraduate and Doctoral Studies Commission of the University of Alcala de Henares, after defending his doctoral thesis "Male hypogonadism associated with moderate to severe obesity and its treatment by bariatric surgery."
The research, developed by the specialist in Endocrinology and Nutrition with a team of European researchers, determined that obese men are more likely to have testosterone deficiency (male hormone) and sperm abnormalities.
Calderón, who got a PhD in Obesity and Male Infertility, established that the obesity causes deficit for the Testosterone and that more than 50% of men with moderate-severe obesity may suffer from testosterone deficiency as a result of obesity. The higher the obesity, the greater the probability of having a decrease in testosterone. In addition, he expresses that obese patients have decreased sperm quality.
Another result that the thesis of the doctor threw, is that obesity alters some receptors responsible for preparing the sperm to acquire the ability to fertilize, which can result in fertility alterations.
As a result of the investigation, it was concluded that bariatric surgery has the ability to correct metabolic disorders and numerous complications, including testosterone deficiency.
The period studied was from 2013 to 2016, a population of 100 patients from the Spanish capital who had moderate-severe obesity, and who were between 20 and 55 years old were included.
Dr. Berniza Calderón spent six years working on her doctoral thesis. The scientific works resulting from his research have been recognized internationally with publication in high-impact journals.