Hormone Replacement Therapy in Males

Abstract

Testosterone is a natural hormone which is essential to maintain physical and emotional wellbeing in men. Male hypogonadism is an endocrine condition of testosterone deficiency with the potential to cause multiple morbidities and psychosocial complaints. The condition can be of primary (testicular), secondary (hypothalamic-pituitary) or so-called functional origin (as a result of inflammatory conditions, obesity or chronic illness). Testosterone deficiency can cause symptoms of sexual nature, insulin resistance, osteoporosis, anemia among others. A replacement of testosterone should not be initiated in case of desired paternity, unclear processes of the prostate, mammary gland, or high hematocrit. Diagnosis and treatment as well as surveillance of the therapy of hypogonadism are clearly regulated by international guidelines and replacement therapy is proven to be effective to ameliorate the above-named complaints when performed according to these guidelines.