Testosterone treatment improves sexual activity in men over 65
Testosterone treatment for men over 65 improves sexual function, walking ability and mood, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine by team researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and twelve other medical centers in the United States, in partnership with the National Institute on Aging.
Researchers conducted The Testosterone Trials (TTrials), a coordinated group of seven trials, and have analyzed the results of the first three – Sexual Function, Physical Function and Vitality. They found that testosterone treatment increased the blood testosterone level to mid-normal for young men. Testosterone also improved all aspects of sexual function, including sexual activity, sexual desire and the ability to get an erection. Testosterone treatment did not significantly improve distance walked in six minutes when only men enrolled in the physical function trial were considered, but did increase the distance walked when all men in the TTrials were considered. The treatment did not improve energy but did improve mood and depressive symptoms.
“The results of the TTrials show for the first time that testosterone treatment of older men who have unequivocally low testosterone levels does have some benefit,” said the principal investigator of the TTrials Peter J. Snyder, MD, a professor in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism. “However, decisions about testosterone treatment for these men will also depend on the results of the other four trials – Cognitive Function, Bone, Cardiovascular, and Anemia – and the risks of testosterone treatment.”
Across the three trials, adverse events including heart attack, stroke other cardiovascular events and prostate conditions, were similar in men who received testosterone and those who received placebo. However, the number of men in the TTrials was too small to draw conclusions about the risk of testosterone treatment. Snyder added, “a larger and longer trial is needed to assess the risks of testosterone treatment.”
The TTrials were conducted at 12 additional medical centers across the US.
