Testosterone supplementation did not show consistent benefit for cardiovascular risk , sexual function , mood and behavior , or cognition .
Studies that examined clinical cardiovascular endpoints have not favored testosterone therapy over placebo .
Testosterone is ineffective in treating erectile dysfunction and controlled trials did not show a consistent effect on libido .
Testosterone supplementation consistently increased muscle strength but did not have beneficial effects on physical function .
Most studies on mood-related endpoints found no beneficial effect of testosterone treatment on personality , psychological well-being , or mood .
Testosterone products are recommended by some prescribers in response to a diagnosis or presumption of " low testosterone " ( low-T ) for cardiovascular health , sexual function , muscle weakness or wasting , mood and behavior , and cognition .
Intramuscular Testosterone Supplementation to Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor in Treatment-Resistant Depressed Men: Randomized Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial
Background : Treatment-resistant depression is a persistent clinical problem . Exogenous testosterone therapy has psychotropic effects and has been proposed as an antidepressant supplement , although this strategy has received limited systematic study . Objective : The aim of the study was to examine the mood effects of testosterone supplementation to a serotonergic antidepressant in men with treatment-resistant depression . Method : Twenty-six healthy adult men with major depressive disorder , partial or nonresponse to 2 adequate antidepressant trials during the current episode , and currently using a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor were r and omized under double-blind conditions to receive intramuscular injections of escalating doses of testosterone or placebo , in addition to their existing selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor regimen , for 6 weeks . The main outcome measure was the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score . Results : The mean age was 46.4 ± 10.8 years ; mean total testosterone level , 417.5 ± 197 ng/dL ; mean baseline Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score , 22.2 ± 5.2 ; and median duration of the current depressive episode , 6.3 ± 10.6 years . Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression scores decreased significantly in both testosterone ( 8.4 ) and placebo ( 7.4 ) groups . Antidepressant response , defined as a 50 % decline in Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score , was achieved by 53.8 % ( 7/13 ) in the testosterone group and 23.1 % ( 3/13 ) in the placebo group ( P = 0.226 ) . Conclusion : Both injectable testosterone and placebo supplementation to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor were associated with improvement in mood ; group differences were not distinguishable in this small sample of predominantly eugonadal men with treatment-resistant depression
Testosterone supplementation did not show consistent benefit for cardiovascular risk , sexual function , mood and behavior , or cognition .
Studies that examined clinical cardiovascular endpoints have not favored testosterone therapy over placebo .
Testosterone is ineffective in treating erectile dysfunction and controlled trials did not show a consistent effect on libido .
Testosterone supplementation consistently increased muscle strength but did not have beneficial effects on physical function .
Most studies on mood-related endpoints found no beneficial effect of testosterone treatment on personality , psychological well-being , or mood .
Testosterone products are recommended by some prescribers in response to a diagnosis or presumption of " low testosterone " ( low-T ) for cardiovascular health , sexual function , muscle weakness or wasting , mood and behavior , and cognition .