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 .
Prospective Study of Effect of Androgens on Serum Inflammatory Markers in Men
Objective —Because male sex is an independent risk factor for the severity of atherosclerosis , it is possible that and rogens may be proatherogenic . There is evidence that sex hormones , particularly estrogens , regulate ( or modulate ) inflammation , a process integral to atherogenesis . Because levels of serum inflammatory markers predict cardiovascular outcomes , we prospect ively assessed the effects of and rogen therapy on these markers in older men . Methods and Results —Levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein ( CRP ) , soluble intracellular adhesion molecule-1 ( sICAM-1 ) , and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 ( sVCAM-1 ) were measured from sera collected at baseline and at the end of 2 r and omized double-blind placebo-controlled trials evaluating the effects of 3 months of and rogen treatment with either dihydrotestosterone ( DHT ) or recombinant human chorionic gonadotropin ( rhCG ) in healthy men aged > 60 years with partial and rogen deficiency ( serum testosterone levels < 15 nmol/L ) . For the DHT study ( 70 mg transdermally daily ) , 33 men completed 3 months of treatment ( 16 men were treated with DHT , and there were 17 controls ) . For the rhCG ( 250 & mgr;g twice weekly ) study , 20 men were treated with rhCG , and there were 20 controls . In both studies , groups were well matched for age and vascular risk factors . And rogen levels ( DHT and testosterone ) were consistently maintained at eugonadal levels throughout the trials , with estradiol markedly increased by rhCG but not DHT .  Baseline CRP levels were 0.74 to 1.49 mg/L , sVCAM-1 levels were 847 to 950 ng/mL , and sICAM-1 levels were 256 to 292 ng/mL in all groups . Neither DHT nor rhCG result ed in significant changes in CRP , sVCAM-1 , or sICAM-1 compared with placebo ( P > 0.3 in both studies ) . Conclusions —Exogenous and rogen therapy with or without increased estradiol levels does not alter serum inflammatory markers in older men ; this finding is in contrast to the effects of estrogens on inflammatory markers that have been found in postmenopausal women . These data provide a measure of reassurance concerning potential adverse cardiovascular effects of and rogen therapy in older men
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 .