Studies Show Testosterone Offers Little Benefits To Aging Men (arstechnica.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: In decades of research, scientists have found only one medical condition that's clearly and effectively treated with testosterone supplements: pathological hypogonadism -- that's low testosterone levels due to disease of the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, or testes. In a series of placebo-controlled, randomized trials, researchers tracked the effect of testosterone on the cognition, bone health, anemia, and cardiovascular health of 788 men for a year. All the men were aged 65 or older and had low testosterone levels that couldn't be explained by anything other than age. The results, reported Tuesday in JAMA and JAMA Internal Medicine, offer mixed results. Among the 493 in the trial who also had age-related memory declines, testosterone didn't have any effect on memory or cognitive abilities. In the study, 247 got testosterone and 246 got a placebo. But for cardiovascular health, there was an effect -- a bad one. Over the year, plaque buildup in the coronary artery -- which is a risk factor for heart disease -- increased in 73 men on testosterone compared with 65 on placebo. However, other studies have found mixed results on this. Longer, bigger trials will be needed to sort out the risks. In the anemia study, testosterone did seem to improve iron levels in men with mild anemia. The bone health study also showed that testosterone could improve bone density. However, it's unclear if those benefits outweigh the possible cardiovascular risks. And other drugs may be more effective at treating anemia and improving bone mass than testosterone.

Comments

Re:How about muscles and virility?

[AmiMoJo]

I took steroids for arthritis for a while. It's not a simple thing, you have to monitor your use carefully and get regular checks. The increased libido was actually quite annoying, although I guess if you are starting from a point of reduced libido it might get you back to normal.

You need to be in otherwise reasonably good health before starting steroids. I wasn't and it caused various undesirable side effects. I think that's the main reason they are not more widely prescribed. Even if you start off okay, if you develop some problem later they can make it much worse.

Someone who knows more than me can probably comment on how safe or otherwise testosterone is.

Re:How about muscles and virility?

[BarbaraHudson]

We talk about osteoporosis in women, where 34% of all women will at one point in their lives break a hip, but in men it''s far worse - 56%. And 1 out of 10 people who fractures their hip never goes home. If taking a pill can avoid spending the rest of your life in long-term care, it's probably worth the risks. Quality of life is paramount.

The easy way to find out is get a bone density scan on your spine and femur. (the ones that just do the forearm or heal are bs in comparison). It will alert you to osteopenia as well as osteoporosis.

More studies are needed because the effects of hormones can vary greatly depending on the individual, as well as at what point in their life they're at. Identifying those who would benefit while ruling out those at greatest risk (or better yet, treating them like adults and letting them make the decision after being given all the information - you know, "informed consent", rather than "no, we've decided it's too risky for you, take our word for it").