| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
Prince Henry’s Institute (C.A.A., H.G.B., E.A.F., R.I.M.), Andrology Australia (C.A.A., R.I.M.), and Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology (C.A.A., R.I.M.) and Medicine (B.J.G.S.), Monash University; and Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism Unit (B.J.G.S.), Monash Medical Centre, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia
Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Professor R. I. McLachlan, Prince Henry’s Institute, P.O. Box 5152, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia. E-mail: rob.mclachlan{at}princehenrys.org.
Background: Trials of testosterone therapy in aging men have demonstrated increases in fat-free mass (FFM) and skeletal muscle and decreases in fat mass (FM) but have not reported the impact of baseline body composition.
Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the effect, in nonobese aging men with symptoms of androgen deficiency and low-normal serum testosterone levels, of testosterone therapy on total and regional body composition and hormonal and metabolic indices.
Methods: Sixty healthy but symptomatic, nonobese men aged 55 yr or older with total testosterone (TT) levels less than 15 nM were randomized to transdermal testosterone patches or placebo for 52 wk. Body composition, by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (FM, FFM, skeletal muscle) and magnetic resonance imaging (abdominal sc and visceral adipose tissue, thigh skeletal muscle, and intermuscular fat) and hormonal and metabolic parameters were measured at wk 0 and 52.
Results: Serum TT increased by 30% (P = 0.01), and LH decreased by 50% (P < 0.001). Relative to placebo, total body FFM (P = 0.03) and skeletal muscle (P = 0.008) were increased and thigh skeletal muscle loss was prevented (P = 0.045) with testosterone therapy and visceral fat accumulation decreased (P = 0.001) without change in total body or abdominal sc FM; change in visceral fat was correlated with change in TT levels (r2 = 0.36; P = 0.014). There was a trend to increasing total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol with placebo.
Conclusion: Testosterone therapy, relative to placebo, selectively lessened visceral fat accumulation without change in total body FM and increased total body FFM and total body and thigh skeletal muscle mass. Further studies are needed to determine the impact of these body compositional changes on markers of metabolic and cardiovascular risk.
This article has been cited by other articles:
 |
|
 |
|
  Q. Jiao, A. M. Pruznak, D. Huber, T. C. Vary, and C. H. Lang Castration differentially alters basal and leucine-stimulated tissue protein synthesis in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, November 1, 2009; 297(5): E1222 - E1232. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 B. B Yeap, S A P. Chubb, Z. Hyde, K. Jamrozik, G. J Hankey, L. Flicker, and P. E Norman Lower serum testosterone is independently associated with insulin resistance in non-diabetic older men: the Health In Men Study Eur. J. Endocrinol., October 1, 2009; 161(4): 591 - 598. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C. Koutsari, A. H. Ali, K. S. Nair, R. A. Rizza, P. O'Brien, S. Khosla, and M. D. Jensen Fatty Acid Metabolism in the Elderly: Effects of Dehydroepiandrosterone and Testosterone Replacement in Hormonally Deficient Men and Women J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., September 1, 2009; 94(9): 3414 - 3423. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. M. Traish, F. Saad, R. J. Feeley, and A. Guay The Dark Side of Testosterone Deficiency: III. Cardiovascular Disease J Androl, September 1, 2009; 30(5): 477 - 494. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. T. Guay The Emerging Link Between Hypogonadism and Metabolic Syndrome J Androl, July 1, 2009; 30(4): 370 - 376. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. J. Carrero, A. R. Qureshi, P. Parini, S. Arver, B. Lindholm, P. Barany, O. Heimburger, and P. Stenvinkel Low Serum Testosterone Increases Mortality Risk among Male Dialysis Patients J. Am. Soc. Nephrol., March 1, 2009; 20(3): 613 - 620. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Wang, E. Nieschlag, R. Swerdloff, H. M. Behre, W. J. Hellstrom, L. J. Gooren, J. M. Kaufman, J.-J. Legros, B. Lunenfeld, A. Morales, et al. Investigation, Treatment, and Monitoring of Late-Onset Hypogonadism in Males: ISA, ISSAM, EAU, EAA, and ASA Recommendations J Androl, January 1, 2009; 30(1): 1 - 9. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. M. Traish, A. Guay, R. Feeley, and F. Saad The Dark Side of Testosterone Deficiency: I. Metabolic Syndrome and Erectile Dysfunction J Androl, January 1, 2009; 30(1): 10 - 22. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. M. Traish, F. Saad, and A. Guay The Dark Side of Testosterone Deficiency: II. Type 2 Diabetes and Insulin Resistance J Androl, January 1, 2009; 30(1): 23 - 32. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
N Sucunza, M J Barahona, E Resmini, J M Fernandez-Real, J Farrerons, P Lluch, T Puig, A M Wagner, W Ricart, and S M Webb Gender dimorphism in body composition abnormalities in acromegaly: males are more affected than females Eur. J. Endocrinol., December 1, 2008; 159(6): 773 - 779. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C Wang, E Nieschlag, R Swerdloff, H M Behre, W J Hellstrom, L J Gooren, J M Kaufman, J-J Legros, B Lunenfeld, A Morales, et al. Investigation, treatment and monitoring of late-onset hypogonadism in males: ISA, ISSAM, EAU, EAA and ASA recommendations Eur. J. Endocrinol., November 1, 2008; 159(5): 507 - 514. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| Endocrinology | Endocrine Reviews | J. Clin. End. & Metab. |
| Molecular Endocrinology | Recent Prog. Horm. Res. | All Endocrine Journals |
