Efficacy of testosterone replacement therapy on pain in hypogonadal men with chronic pain syndrome: A subanalysis of a prospective randomised controlled study in Japan (EARTH study).

Abstract

The present study investigated the efficacy of 6months of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) on chronic pain syndrome in late-onset hypogonadal (LOH) men. Sixty hypogonadal patients with chronic pain syndrome (31 patients in TRT group and 29 controls) were extracted from a previous randomised controlled study in Japan. Chronic pain was evaluated based on bodily pain (BP) subscale of Short-form (36) Health Survey (SF-36), and patients with a score of 50.0 or less were defined as suffering from chronic pain. SF-36 scores, Aging Male Symptoms (AMS) scale, international prostatic symptoms score (IPSS) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels at baseline and a 6-month visit for the two groups were collected and compared. There were no statistically significant differences in baseline backgrounds between the two groups. Six-month TRT could contribute to significant improvements in BP, mental health of SF-36 and sleep disturbance (AMS question 4). Though the PSA level in the TRT group also significantly elevated at 6months, the increase was not clinically significant. No significant improvements were evident in any characteristics in the controls. In conclusion, 6-month TRT can improve pain and some aspects of quality of life in LOH men with chronic pain.