Is Oral Testosterone the New Frontier of Testosterone Replacement Therapy?

Abstract

Male hypogonadism is a condition in which the body does not produce enough testosterone, resulting in symptoms such as depressed mood, decreased sex drive, decreased skeletal muscle, and increased fat mass. Male hypogonadism can be readily treated with many available treatments when clinically indicated. The advent of readily available testosterone therapy has increased the importance of finding the most efficacious and cost-efficient treatment modality to approach these patients. Testosterone is typically administered through intramuscular or subcutaneous injections, topical gels, and oral tablets. The efficacy of testosterone therapy on hypogonadal men has been widely studied. However, there has been little research done comparing each modality against each other. This paper seeks to compare the various modalities of testosterone replacement therapy using various parameters such as the beneficial effects on bone mineral density, skeletal muscle mass, fat mass, and libido while simultaneously weighing the distinct undesirable side effects of each form of administration. Our investigation analyzes the methodology and results of the existing research within this field. It aims to draw a nuanced conclusion about the current standard of care for testosterone replacement therapy. According to our research and statistical analyses, we have concluded that oral administration has shown to be as advantageous as other modalities for male hypogonadism. Currently, injectables are the modality of choice, but with the right improvements, oral administration can potentially overtake injectables and transdermal testosterone as the treatment of choice.