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 .
Testosterone replacement therapy for hypogonadal men with major depressive disorder: a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.
BACKGROUND Symptoms of male hypogonadism include low libido , fatigue , and dysphoria and are alleviated with testosterone replacement . The prevalence of major depressive disorder ( MDD ) in hypogonadal men is not known , nor is the antidepressant efficacy of testosterone replacement in depressed , hypogonadal men . METHOD A 6-week double-blind , placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted in 32 men with DSM-IV MDD and a low testosterone level , defined as total serum testosterone < or = 350 ng/dL. Patients were r and omly assigned to receive weekly 1-mL intramuscular injections of either testosterone enanthate , 200 mg , or sesame seed oil ( placebo ) . The primary outcome measure was the 24-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression ( HAM-D ) . RESULTS Thirty patients were r and omly assigned to an intervention ; 13 received testosterone , and 17 received placebo .  Mean + /- SD age was 52+/-10 years , mean testosterone level was 266.1+/-50.6 ng/dL , and mean baseline HAM-D score was 21+/-8 . All patients who received testosterone achieved normalization of their testosterone levels . The HAM-D scores decreased in both testosterone and placebo groups , and there were no significant between-group differences : reduction in group mean HAM-D score from baseline to endpoint was 10.1 in patients who received testosterone and 10.5 in those who received placebo .  Response rate , defined as a 50 % or greater reduction in HAM-D score , was 38.5 % ( 5/13 ) for patients who received testosterone and 41.2 % ( 7/17 ) for patients who received placebo . Patients receiving testosterone had a marginal but statistically significant improvement in sexual function ( p = .02 ) . CONCLUSION In this clinical trial with depressed , hypogonadal men , antidepressant effects of testosterone replacement could not be differentiated from those of placebo
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 .