Testosterone deficiency

Am J Med. 2011 Jul;124(7):578-87. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2010.12.027.

Abstract

Testosterone deficiency (TD) afflicts approximately 30% of men aged 40-79 years, with an increase in prevalence strongly associated with aging and common medical conditions including obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. A strong relationship is noted between TD and metabolic syndrome, although the relationship is not certain to be causal. Repletion of testosterone (T) in T-deficient men with these comorbidities may indeed reverse or delay their progression. While T repletion has been largely thought of in a sexual realm, we discuss its potential role in general men's health concerns: metabolic, body composition, and all-cause mortality through the use of a single clinical vignette. This review examines a host of studies, with practical recommendations for diagnosis of TD and T repletion in middle-aged and older men, including an analysis of treatment modalities and areas of concerns and uncertainty.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / blood
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / etiology
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / mortality
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / prevention & control
  • Diabetes Mellitus / blood
  • Diabetes Mellitus / etiology
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Erectile Dysfunction / etiology
  • Erectile Dysfunction / prevention & control
  • Hormone Replacement Therapy* / methods
  • Humans
  • Hypogonadism / blood*
  • Hypogonadism / complications
  • Hypogonadism / drug therapy
  • Insulin Resistance
  • Libido
  • Male
  • Metabolic Syndrome / blood*
  • Middle Aged
  • Obesity / blood
  • Obesity / complications
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic
  • Prevalence
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / blood
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / chemically induced
  • Risk Factors
  • Testosterone / administration & dosage
  • Testosterone / adverse effects
  • Testosterone / deficiency*
  • Testosterone / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Testosterone