Taking testosterone supplements in order to improve sexual function or overall quality of life may be a waste of time, according to new research led by experts from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
In the study, Dr. Shalender Bhasin, director of the hospital’s research program in men’s health, and his colleagues report that testosterone therapy administration did not significantly improve sexual function or health-related quality of life in older men with lower testosterone levels, nor did it have any impact on the progression of hardening of the arteries in these males.
The results are based on the Testosterone’s Effects on Atherosclerosis Progression in Aging Men (TEAAM) trial, and the findings indicate that this type of supplement should not be used “indiscriminately” by older men, and that they are unlikely to have the intended effect on men seeking to recapture their youthful virility.
“Many men, as they get older, experience a decline in testosterone and in sexual function and vitality. But our study finds that taking testosterone, when levels are in the low to low normal range, may not improve sexual function or quality of life,” Dr. Bhasin added.
Study also found no link with atherosclerosis
As the authors explained, testosterone is a hormone secreted primarily by the testicles that plays an essential role in male reproductive tissue, as well as muscle growth, body mass, and body hair. As men pass the age of 40, their testosterone levels decrease by an average of one percent each year, and previous research has been inconclusive about the benefit of using supplements.
Some of those studies have indicated that testosterone therapy could increase a man’s risk of having a heart attack or stroke due to plaque accumulation in the arteries (a condition also known as atherosclerosis). However, during the three-year-long TEAAM trial, Dr. Bhasin’s team found that testosterone did not affect the rate of hardening of the arteries.
However, he also said that additional data from long-term, large-scale trials were needed in order to determine the impact of these supplements on other significant cardiovascular events. The new study looked at more than 300 men over the age of 60, with testosterone levels in the low to low-normal range (100-400 ng/dL). It measured for two indicators of atherosclerosis and had each of the participants complete a questionnaire about sexual function and quality of life.
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