Testosterone Therapy in Older Men: The More the Better?

Older men with low libido and low testosterone levels benefit from testosterone therapy, according to the results of a recent study.

Previous research into the relationship between testosterone levels and sexual function have been conflicting.

In order to assess the effects of testosterone therapy on sexual function and libido, researchers conducted a placebo-controlled trial of 470 men, aged 65 and older, with average testosterone levels lower than 275 ng/dL. The participants were randomly assigned to either testosterone gel or placebo for 1 year. The researchers assessed sexual function via 3 questionnaires every 3 months: the Psychosexual Daily Questionnaire, the Derogatis Interview for Sexual Function, and the International Index of Erectile Function.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

RELATED CONTENT
Testosterone Gel Improves Sexual Function In Older Men
Does Testosterone Affect Sexual Function in Menopausal Women?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Overall, testosterone therapy was associated with significant improvements in 10 of 12 measures of sexual activity. Increases in total and free testosterone levels were associated with improvements in sexual activity and desire but not erectile function.

“In older men with low libido and low [testosterone] 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,” the researchers concluded.

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Cunningham GR, Stephens-Shields AJ, Rosen RC, et al. Testosterone treatment and sexual function in older men with low testosterone levels [published online June 29, 2016]. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1210/jc.2016-1645.