Effects of Testosterone Treatment in Older Men

TLDR: In symptomatic men 65 years of age or older, raising testosterone concentrations for 1 year from moderately low to the mid-normal range for men 19 to 40 years ofAge had a moderate benefit with respect to sexual function and some benefit withrespect to mood and depressive symptoms but no benefit with Respect to vitality or walking distance.

Abstract: BackgroundSerum testosterone concentrations decrease as men age, but benefits of raising testosterone levels in older men have not been established. MethodsWe assigned 790 men 65 years of age or older with a serum testosterone concentration of less than 275 ng per deciliter and symptoms suggesting hypoandrogenism to receive either testosterone gel or placebo gel for 1 year. Each man participated in one or more of three trials — the Sexual Function Trial, the Physical Function Trial, and the Vitality Trial. The primary outcome of each of the individual trials was also evaluated in all participants. ResultsTestosterone treatment increased serum testosterone levels to the mid-normal range for men 19 to 40 years of age. The increase in testosterone levels was associated with significantly increased sexual activity, as assessed by the Psychosexual Daily Questionnaire (P<0.001), as well as significantly increased sexual desire and erectile function. The percentage of men who had an increase of at least 50 m in ...