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 .
A trial of testosterone therapy for HIV‐associated weight loss
Objective : Weight loss in HIV-infected patients is extremely common and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality . Decreased testosterone concentrations occur commonly in patients with HIV disease and are associated with weight loss . This study assessed the effect of testosterone therapy on HIV associated weight loss in patients with AIDS . Methods : Forty HIV-seropositive patients with CD4 + counts of < 2 × 105/l and weight loss greater than 5 % of usual body weight were r and omized in a double-blind manner to receive 200 mg of testosterone cypionate or placebo intramuscularly every 2 weeks for 3 months . Patients were then crossed to receive the alternate treatment for the next 3 months . Outcome variables included weight , skin fold measurement , a quality -of-life question naire , Karnofsky score , T-cell subset analysis , complete blood count , routine blood chemistry measurements and free testosterone concentration . Results : Thirty-nine patients entered the study . Of these , 35 completed the first 3-month period ( 18 on placebo , 17 on testosterone ) and 23 completed the whole 6 month trial . Analysis of these 23 patients did not show any significant differences between testosterone and placebo treatment . Analysis of the first 3 months only for the 35 patients who completed it did not show any significant difference between the effects of testosterone and placebo treatment on weight gain . Patients treated with testosterone reported improved overall well-being ( P = 0.03 ) and a trend towards increased muscle strength ( P = 0.08 ) . There was no difference between the two groups in terms of side-effects or other effects on hematopoetic , liver , renal or immune function . Conclusions : Treatment with testosterone cypionate compared with placebo did not result in significant weight gain .  Testosterone supplementation did appear to produce an improved overall sense of well-being and possibly some increase in muscle strength . This r and omized , double-blinded study does not confirm the results of other recent studies which show potential benefits of testosterone and its analogs when used as a treatment for weight loss in HIV-positive patients
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 .