The impact of testosterone supplementation on sexual function in elderly men

Abstract

To evaluate the effect of testosterone supplementation on sexual function in men over 60. IRB-approved prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Men 60 years old or greater with borderline low testosterone (T) were treated with low dose testosterone gel (25mg/d), conventional dose testosterone gel (50mg/d), or placebo gel for 1 year. Testosterone levels were measured and the Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM), a validated questionnaire to evaluate erectile dysfunction (ED), was administered at baseline, 6 months, and 1 year. ANOVA was used to compare means; analysis was performed using Excel. There were 56 subjects in the placebo group (P), 56 subjects in the low dose T group (T25), and 55 subjects in the conventional dose T group (T50). There was no difference in age (P=65, T25 = 65, T50 = 64 years; P=0.5) between the 3 groups. There was no difference in total or free T between the groups at baseline. Additionally, all three groups demonstrated mild to moderate ED based on SHIM scores (P=15.9, T25 = 16.1, T50 = 17.5; P=0.54) at baseline. Over the course of the study, total and free T did not change in the placebo group but increased significantly in both treatment groups. There was no change in SHIM scores in any group (data shown in table).Tabled 1GroupBaseline6 months12 monthsp valueTotal TP2943042840.28(ng/dL)T252925164570.000004T503035325960.0000004SHIM scoreP15.916.316.90.85T2516.116.216.11T5017.51717.20.95 Open table in a new tab Testosterone supplementation is often used to treat sexual dysfunction in men with borderline low or low testosterone. In this randomized, placebo controlled trial, treatment with testosterone at a low or conventional dose did not have an effect on sexual function. When data was analyzed using only those subjects who had an increase in serum testosterone, there was still no difference seen in sexual function.