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 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of testosterone treatment in hypogonadal older men with subthreshold depression (dysthymia or minor depression).
OBJECTIVE Hypogonadism and subthreshold depression are common conditions in elderly men . The objective of this study was to examine the effect of testosterone treatment in older , hypogonadal men with subthreshold depression . METHOD A r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled study was conducted at a university-affiliated Veterans Affairs Medical Center among men aged 50 years or older ( N = 33 ) with screening total testosterone levels of < or= 280 ng/dL and subthreshold depression ( dysthymia or minor depression , according to DSM-IV ) . Recruitment for the study was conducted from November 2002 through May 2005 . Participants received either 7.5 g of testosterone gel or placebo gel daily for 12 weeks , followed by a 12-week open-label extension phase during which all subjects received 7.5 g of testosterone gel . The primary outcome measure was the change in the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression ( HAM-D ) score from baseline to the end of the double-blind phase . Secondary outcome measures were remission of subthreshold depression ( defined a priori as a HAM-D score < or= 7 ) and changes in the Hopkins Symptom Checklist depression scale , the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey , and the short-form 16-item Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Question naire . RESULTS At the end of the double-blind phase , testosterone-treated men had a greater reduction in HAM-D scores ( p = .024 ) and a higher remission rate of subthreshold depression ( 52.9 % vs. 18.8 % , p = .041 ) than did placebo-treated men , but there were no differences in other secondary outcome measures between groups . At the end of the open-label phase , the testosterone group had sustained improvement , the control group improved , and there were no differences between groups in any outcome measures . CONCLUSION These results suggest that testosterone replacement may be efficacious treatment for subthreshold depression in older men with hypogonadism . Larger studies are needed to corroborate these findings . TRIAL REGISTRATION clinical trials.gov Identifier : NCT00202462
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 .