Do the Benefits of Testosterone Therapy Outweigh the Risk?
The health benefits of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for men and women with low testosterone outweigh the risks, according to a panel of researchers presenting at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists annual meeting.
The panel’s presentation comes in response to an FDA safety alert in March 2015, which warned that the safety and efficacy of TRT in patients with age-related low testosterone is still uncertain and called for drug manufacturers to include label warnings of cardiovascular risk associated with treatment on their products.
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Researchers noted that the FDA warning fails to address the role of low testosterone in co-morbidities such as obesity and type 2 diabetes and fails to properly define age-related testosterone decline, leaving it unclear whether age restrictions apply to middle-aged individuals.
“Any patient being considered for testosterone replacement therapy should undergo a thorough diagnostic work-up,” explained Sandeep Dhindsa, MD, and panelist and endocrinologist at the Texas Tech University Health Science Center in Odessa, Texas.
“The decision to replace testosterone therapy should be guided by the signs, symptoms and testosterone concentrations rather than the underlying cause,” he said.
Further, panelists commented on the safety and efficacy of TRT in women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), saying, “testosterone has been used to treat women with HSDD for decades with no evidence of emergent adverse events and should be seen as an effective and safe management option…”
The complete study was presented at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists’ 24th Annual Scientific and Clinical Congress.
-Michelle Canales Butcher
Reference:
1. American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. Testosterone replacement therapy benefits outweigh risks, say researchers. May 15, 2015. [press release] http://media.aace.com/press-release/aace-annual-meeting-press-releases/testosterone-replacement-therapy-benefits-outweigh-. Accessed May 19, 2015.