Some studies suggest that testosterone therapy has additional effects , which include increased bone mineral density and decreased serum high-density lipoprotein ( HDL ) cholesterol .
The clinical sequelae of oestrogen deficiency during menopause are undoubted .
However , the pathophysiological role of testosterone during the menopause is less clear .
Several r and omized , placebo-controlled clinical trials suggest that testosterone therapy improves sexual function in postmenopausal women .
Testosterone dose-response relationships with cardiovascular risk markers in androgen-deficient women: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE To determine dose-dependent effects of T administration on cardiovascular risk markers in women with low T levels . METHODS Seventy-one hysterectomized women with or without oophorectomy with total T < 31 ng/dL and /or free T < 3.5 pg/mL received a st and ardized transdermal estradiol regimen during the 12-week run-in period and were then r and omized to receive weekly i m injections of placebo or 3- , 6.25- , 12.5- , or 25-mg T enanthate for 24 weeks . Total and free T levels were measured by liquid chromatography-t and em mass spectrometry and equilibrium dialysis , respectively . Insulin resistance and inflammatory markers were measured at baseline and 24 weeks . In a subset of women , magnetic resonance imaging of the abdomen was performed to quantify abdominal fat volume . RESULTS Fifty-nine women who completed the 24-week intervention were included in the final analysis . The five groups were similar at baseline . Mean on-treatment nadir total T concentrations were 14 , 79 , 105 , 130 , and 232 ng/dL in the placebo group and the 3- , 6.25- , 12.5- , and 25-mg groups , respectively . No significant changes in fasting glucose , fasting insulin , homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance , high sensitivity C-reactive protein , adiponectin , blood pressure , and heart rate were observed at any T dose when compared to placebo . Similarly , no dose- or concentration-dependent changes were observed in abdominal fat on magnetic resonance imaging . CONCLUSION Short-term T administration over a wide range of doses for 24 weeks in women with low T levels was not associated with worsening of cardiovascular risk markers
Some studies suggest that testosterone therapy has additional effects , which include increased bone mineral density and decreased serum high-density lipoprotein ( HDL ) cholesterol .
The clinical sequelae of oestrogen deficiency during menopause are undoubted .
However , the pathophysiological role of testosterone during the menopause is less clear .
Several r and omized , placebo-controlled clinical trials suggest that testosterone therapy improves sexual function in postmenopausal women .