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Hormone Therapy substantially reduces risk of COVID-19

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User
Posted 07 May 2020 at 10:48

Well, there's been speculation on all prostate forums that hormone therapy could maybe reduce the male risk of COVID-19 down to female levels (a reduction by almost a half). Some research is now showing it's way better than that, with the risk reduced more than 4 fold. This is because hormone therapy also suppresses a protein TMPRSS2 which COVID-19 uses to infect cells, and is found in many parts of the body, but particularly the lungs.

The team is suggesting testing short term hormone therapy on COVID-19 patients.

Androgen-deprivation treatments for prostate cancer could protect men from COVID-19

EDIT: I've found the original pre-proof research paper is available publicly too.

Edited by member 07 May 2020 at 11:27  | Reason: Add pointer to original research paper

User
Posted 07 May 2020 at 10:48

Well, there's been speculation on all prostate forums that hormone therapy could maybe reduce the male risk of COVID-19 down to female levels (a reduction by almost a half). Some research is now showing it's way better than that, with the risk reduced more than 4 fold. This is because hormone therapy also suppresses a protein TMPRSS2 which COVID-19 uses to infect cells, and is found in many parts of the body, but particularly the lungs.

The team is suggesting testing short term hormone therapy on COVID-19 patients.

Androgen-deprivation treatments for prostate cancer could protect men from COVID-19

EDIT: I've found the original pre-proof research paper is available publicly too.

Edited by member 07 May 2020 at 11:27  | Reason: Add pointer to original research paper

User
Posted 07 May 2020 at 12:00

That is a really cool post. I had found research about ADT, gender and the immune system. They were all pre-covid, and did give a hint that less testosterone would be an advantage, but this goes beyond that.

I've just been celebrating the last week coming off Zoladex. Maybe I should sneak down the doctors and see if I can get him to give me just one more fix, I know I'll be able to kick the habit, but I just need one more fix. 

Dave

User
Posted 07 May 2020 at 15:26
Andy thanks for posting, every cloud and all that.

Need to add this to the positive list of reduced time spent shaving, flawless complexion, binned deodorant and regrowth of my Barnett.

Negative list is a story for another day.

User
Posted 07 May 2020 at 16:45

One possible downside - I wonder if we'll suddenly find we can't get hormone therapy treatments due to over demand? There is already an increase in demand due to it being temporarily used to delay treatments.

I think they would need to use the fast acting ones with patients already ill with COVID-19, which are Bicalutamide and Degerelix. I don't know if Bicalutamide would work, being an anti-androgen - I haven't looked to see if the pathway to TMPRSS2 suppression is known yet. The LHRH Agonists (Zoladex, Prostap, Decapeptyl, and in the US, Lupron/Eligard) take best part of a month to start working, which would be no good in that scenario, but fine if you're already on them.

Of course, it may be that even fast testosterone suppression doesn't suppress TMPRSS2 quickly. These are all unknowns at the moment.

User
Posted 12 May 2020 at 08:43
Mm think I'll take my chances with Covid at the moment!!

Lyn always seems a bit keen to "whip EM off" for my liking!

User
Posted 19 May 2020 at 10:22

Talk and Chalk Zoom session, Thursday 21st May, 5:45pm for a 6:00pm start.

I'm going to repeat the talk and chalk session over Zoom which I did last week.

I'll cover how the different families of hormone therapy drugs work and then go on to explain the recent new research which suggests hormone therapy may be a strong protective factor against COVID-19.

Zoom details mustn't go here in public. You can find them at the bottom of my profile (click on my avatar)

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User
Posted 07 May 2020 at 12:00

That is a really cool post. I had found research about ADT, gender and the immune system. They were all pre-covid, and did give a hint that less testosterone would be an advantage, but this goes beyond that.

I've just been celebrating the last week coming off Zoladex. Maybe I should sneak down the doctors and see if I can get him to give me just one more fix, I know I'll be able to kick the habit, but I just need one more fix. 

Dave

User
Posted 07 May 2020 at 15:07
Brilliant sourcing - thank you
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 07 May 2020 at 15:26
Andy thanks for posting, every cloud and all that.

Need to add this to the positive list of reduced time spent shaving, flawless complexion, binned deodorant and regrowth of my Barnett.

Negative list is a story for another day.

User
Posted 07 May 2020 at 16:45

One possible downside - I wonder if we'll suddenly find we can't get hormone therapy treatments due to over demand? There is already an increase in demand due to it being temporarily used to delay treatments.

I think they would need to use the fast acting ones with patients already ill with COVID-19, which are Bicalutamide and Degerelix. I don't know if Bicalutamide would work, being an anti-androgen - I haven't looked to see if the pathway to TMPRSS2 suppression is known yet. The LHRH Agonists (Zoladex, Prostap, Decapeptyl, and in the US, Lupron/Eligard) take best part of a month to start working, which would be no good in that scenario, but fine if you're already on them.

Of course, it may be that even fast testosterone suppression doesn't suppress TMPRSS2 quickly. These are all unknowns at the moment.

User
Posted 07 May 2020 at 16:46
Or an increase in orchiectomies which is faster-acting than the drugs :-/
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 07 May 2020 at 21:24

Thanks Andy, for tracking this down.

After suffering all the side effects of Zoladex for over four years and now facing having the implants for the rest of my life, this makes me so pleased that finally I maybe reaping the rewards. 

Zoladex may not ultimately help me beat the cancer but at least it may help me avoiding an earlier death from Covid 19.

Steve 

Edited by member 07 May 2020 at 21:25  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 08 May 2020 at 08:40

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
Or an increase in orchiectomies which is faster-acting than the drugs :-/

I have a suspicion that there wouldn't be too many takers for that option 😏

Cheers,

Chris

 

User
Posted 08 May 2020 at 12:51

Talk and Chalk Zoom session, Monday 11th May, 7:15pm for a 7:30pm start.

I'm going to do a talk and chalk session over Zoom to cover this topic which is of interest in a number of support groups.

I'll cover how the different families of hormone therapy drugs work and then go on to explain the recent new research which suggests hormone therapy may be a strong protective factor against COVID-19.

Zoom details mustn't go here in public. You can find them at the bottom of my profile.

User
Posted 11 May 2020 at 23:37

I don't know if anyone from here was on the Zoom session, but if so, thanks for joining. We had 19 people including two consultants. Nothing like doing a presentation to the experts in their field, but they loved it! Lots of questions and discussion too.

User
Posted 12 May 2020 at 08:43
Mm think I'll take my chances with Covid at the moment!!

Lyn always seems a bit keen to "whip EM off" for my liking!

User
Posted 12 May 2020 at 08:56
Interesting trials with Losartan re Covid taking place at the moment too.
User
Posted 12 May 2020 at 11:22

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
Mm think I'll take my chances with Covid at the moment!!

Lyn always seems a bit keen to "whip EM off" for my liking!

 

I may have developed some professional bias without realising 🤔

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 19 May 2020 at 10:22

Talk and Chalk Zoom session, Thursday 21st May, 5:45pm for a 6:00pm start.

I'm going to repeat the talk and chalk session over Zoom which I did last week.

I'll cover how the different families of hormone therapy drugs work and then go on to explain the recent new research which suggests hormone therapy may be a strong protective factor against COVID-19.

Zoom details mustn't go here in public. You can find them at the bottom of my profile (click on my avatar)

User
Posted 12 Jun 2020 at 14:59

Flipping heck, I've only just seen reference to your zoom. And obviously missed it. 

Must look at this section more regularly. 

Mrs MAS

User
Posted 12 Jun 2020 at 17:04

Mrs MAS,

I'm very happy to run it again if there's still some interest.

Quite a few people from the first run came and listened again to the second run.

I also had fantastic feedback from one of the consultants who listened in - it brought tears to my eyes, although the hormone therapy might have helped!

Edited by member 12 Jun 2020 at 17:05  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 13 Jun 2020 at 12:06

Hi Andy 

I'd certainly be on the list if there are others interested as well to make it worth your time. 

 

Mrs MAS

User
Posted 13 Jun 2020 at 14:40

Hi Andy,

I’d be interested too.

thanks

Ange

User
Posted 17 Jun 2020 at 15:55

Hi

Would anyone else be interested in Andys Talk and Chalk Zoom session? 

He's already repeated it once so don't want to use his time up but thought others might be interested. 

It covers  how the different families of hormone therapy drugs work and then go on to explain the recent new research which suggests hormone therapy may be a strong protective factor against COVID-19.

Mrs MAS

User
Posted 25 Jun 2022 at 16:28

Just to return to this topic of ADT protecting against COVID...

There have been a number of trials now, but none have shown that administering ADT to someone who has already caught COVID is beneficial. The original research from Italy found ADT was beneficial in the case where the man was already on it before being exposed to or catching COVID in reducing seriousness of infection, which is a different ordering. It should also be noted these were the first or early variants of COVID, and before any vaccinations were available. How this compares with the current prevalent variants or the effectiveness of the vaccines is difficult to know now.

 
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