NIH-supported trials test hormonal therapy in older men with low testosterone levels

(Source – National Institutes of Health)

A preliminary study of testosterone therapy in older men with low levels of the hormone and clinical conditions to which low testosterone might contribute, found that restoring levels to those of healthy young men improved sexual function. Treatment had a smaller effect on other aspects of health, such as the ability to walk or the sense of vitality. These initial results of the Testosterone Trials (T Trials), a group of studies supported primarily by the National Institutes of Health, appear in The New England Journal of Medicine on February 18, and report the results of the first three of seven double-blind, placebo-controlled trials.

A high proportion of older men have testosterone levels well below those found in healthy younger men. In most cases, these low levels are not due to diseases known to affect testosterone levels, such as testicular or pituitary conditions. Many of these men also have symptomatic problems that could be related to low testosterone, including diminished sexual function, decreased mobility and fatigue. The T Trials were designed to determine if testosterone treatment would alleviate these symptoms. Such trials were recommended by the Institute of Medicine (now the National Academy of Medicine) as a key step before considering possible larger and longer trials that would be needed to assess long-term risks and benefits of testosterone treatment for older men. The National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of NIH, initiated the T Trials in response to this recommendation. Read more…

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