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Testosterone Treatment and Sexual Function in Older Men With Low Testosterone Levels.

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27355400
10.1210/jc.2016-1645
PMC4971331
The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism
Aug. 1, 2016
Departments of Medicine and Molecular and Cellular Biology (G.R.C.), Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Baylor College of Medicine and Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center, Houston, Texas 77030; Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology (A.J.S.-S., J.T.F., B.Z., X.H., S.S.E.), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104; New England Research Institutes, Inc (R.C.R.), Watertown, Massachusetts 02472; Division of Endocrinology (C.W., R.S.S.), Harbor-University of California at Los Angeles Medical Center and Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute, Torrance, California 90502; Research Program in Men's Health: Aging and Metabolism (S.Bh., S.Ba.), Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115; Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (A.M.M.), Department of Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, and Division of Gerontology & Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98108-1597; Department of Urology (J.K.P.), Moores Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, California 92093; Division of Geriatric Medicine (T.M.G.), Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510; Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Molecular Medicine (M.E.M.), and Department of Medical Social Sciences (D.C.), Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611; Division of Epidemiology (E.B.-C.), Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California 92093-0607; Department of Epidemiology (J.A.C.), University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261; Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (D.C., L.G.), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104; Divisions of Endocrinology and Geriatrics (
Placebos, Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological, Erectile Dysfunction, Libido, Sexual Behavior, Hormone Replacement Therapy, Treatment Outcome, Male, Testosterone, Surveys and Questionnaires, Humans, Aged
UL1 TR001863, UL1 TR000124, UL1 TR001073, P60 DK079626, P30 AG021342, U01 AG030644, K24 AG021507, P30 AG028740
Gallagher L, Zeldow B, Tabatabaie V, Basaria S, Stephens-Shields AJ, Hou X, Molitch ME, Crandall JP, Cunningham GR, Farrar JT, Cella D, Rosen RC, Cifelli D, Ellenberg SS, Wang C, Matsumoto AM, Snyder PJ, Swerdloff RS, Anton S, Bhasin S, Parsons JK, Diem SJ, Pahor M, Gill TM, Lewis CE, Barrett-Connor E, Ensrud KE, Cauley JA
Cunningham GR, Stephens-Shields AJ, Rosen RC, Wang C, Bhasin S, Matsumoto AM, Parsons JK, Gill TM, Molitch ME, Farrar JT, Cella D, Barrett-Connor E, Cauley JA, Cifelli D, Crandall JP, Ensrud KE, Gallagher L, Zeldow B, Lewis CE, Pahor M, Swerdloff RS, Hou X, Anton S, Basaria S, Diem SJ, Tabatabaie V, Ellenberg SS, Snyder PJ. Testosterone Treatment and Sexual Function in Older Men With Low Testosterone Levels. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 2016 Aug.

Abstract

The Testosterone Trials are a coordinated set of seven trials to determine the efficacy of T in symptomatic men ≥65 years old with unequivocally low T levels. Initial results of the Sexual Function Trial showed that T improved sexual activity, sexual desire, and erectile function. To assess the responsiveness of specific sexual activities to T treatment; to relate hormone changes to changes in sexual function; and to determine predictive baseline characteristics and T threshold for sexual outcomes. A placebo-controlled trial. Twelve academic medical centers in the United States. A total of 470 men ≥65 years of age with low libido, average T <275 ng/dL, and a partner willing to have sexual intercourse at least twice a month. Men were assigned to take T gel or placebo for 1 year. Sexual function was assessed by three questionnaires every 3 months: the Psychosexual Daily Questionnaire, the Derogatis Interview for Sexual Function, and the International Index of Erectile Function. Compared with placebo, T administration significantly improved 10 of 12 measures of sexual activity. Incremental increases in total and free T and estradiol levels were associated with improvements in sexual activity and desire, but not erectile function. No threshold T level was observed for any outcome, and none of the 27 baseline characteristics predicted responsiveness to T. In older men with low libido and low T levels, improvements in sexual desire and activity in response to T treatment were related to the magnitude of increases in T and estradiol levels, but there was no clear evidence of a threshold effect.