As we learned from Dr. James McKiernan on the Stay in the Game podcast, men are 2-3 times more likely to die of COVID-19 than women are. Early research about the gap in gender outcomes points to a protein that is regulated by the presence of male hormones such as testosterone.
A driver of prostate cancer, the protein TMPRSS2, also naturally occurs on the surface of the lungs, allowing the virus to enter and cause infection.
Enter the Prostate Care Foundation (PFC). Working with leading infectious disease experts, PCF researchers came upon a strategy of lowering testosterone levels by administering one dose of ADP (hormone therapy). An early PCF-funded study showed that men taking ADT were 4 times less likely to be infected by COVID-19 and five times less likely to die than men who were not given this therapy.
