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 .
Relationship between testosterone supplementation and insulin-like growth factor-I levels and cognition in healthy older men
BACKGROUND Our laboratory has previously reported that testosterone ( T ) administration to older men significantly improves cognitive function . This study examined potential changes in insulin-like growth factor ( IGF ) IGF-I , IGF-II and IGF-related binding proteins in response to T administration in older men and their relationship to cognitive functioning . METHODS Twenty-five healthy community dwelling volunteers , ranging in age from 50 - 80 years were r and omized to receive weekly intra-muscular ( i.m . ) injections of either 100 mg T enanthate or placebo ( saline ) for 6 weeks . Serum hormone levels and cognitive functioning was assessed at baseline and twice during treatment . RESULTS Significant positive associations between IGF-I and IGF-II and spatial memory , spatial reasoning , and verbal fluency were observed after 6 weeks of T administration . Increased serum T levels from treatment were positively associated with improvement in spatial reasoning performance , whereas estradiol was associated with a decline in divided attention performance . Serum IGF-I , IGF-II and IGFBPs did not change in response to T treatment . CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that T , estradiol and IGF-I may have independent and selective effects on cognitive functioning . Positive associations between T levels and cognition are consistent with an effect of and rogen treatment , whereas positive associations between IGF-I levels and cognition are reflective of a relationship between endogenous IGF-I levels and cognition
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 .