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 .
Effect of testosterone treatment on constitutional and sexual symptoms in men with type 2 diabetes in a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.
OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to assess the effect of T treatment on constitutional and sexual symptoms in men with type 2 diabetes ( T2D ) . DESIGN This was a r and omized double-blind , parallel , placebo-controlled trial . SETTING The study was conducted at a tertiary referral center . PATIENTS Men aged 35 - 70 years with T2D , a hemoglobin A1c less than 8.5 % , and a total T level less than 12.0 nmol/L ( 346 ng/dL ) with mild to moderate aging male symptoms and erectile dysfunction . INTERVENTION Eighty-eight participants were r and omly assigned to 40 weeks of i m T undecanoate ( n = 45 ) or matching placebo ( n = 43 ) . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Constitutional symptoms using the aging male symptoms ( AMS ) score , sexual desire ( question 17 AMS score ) , and erectile function ( International Index of Erectile Function-5 ) . RESULTS T treatment did not substantially improve aging male symptoms [ mean adjusted difference ( MAD ) in change over 40 weeks across the T and placebo groups in AMS total score , -0.9 ( 95 % confidence interval [ CI ] -4.1 , 2.2 ) , P = .67 ] or sexual desire [ MAD in question 17 AMS , -0.3 ( 95 % CI -0.8 , 0.2 ) , P = .17 ] . Although compared with placebo , erectile function in men assigned to T was reduced [ MAD in International Index of Erectile Function abridged version 5 , -2.0 ( 95 % CI -3.4 , -0.6 ) , P < .02 ] , there was no significant difference between baseline and 40-week International Index of Erectile Function abridged version 5 scores if both groups were analyzed separately . At baseline , symptoms were worse in men with depression and microvascular complications but did not correlate with T levels . CONCLUSIONS In this trial , T treatment did not substantially improve constitutional or sexual symptoms in obese , aging men with T2D with mild to moderate symptoms and modest reduction in T levels typical for the vast majority of such 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 .