title: Symptomatic change in Japanese hypogonadal patients several years after androgen replacement therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There are few reports on the prognosis of patients receiving androgen replacement therapy (ART). In this study, we evaluated the subsequent symptoms of Japanese hypogonadal patients who had received ART, within several years previously by mail-in survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-three aged men with symptoms of hypogonadism and testosterone deficiency who had received ART for 6 months responded to this survey. The survey consisted of questions associated with present physical and mental status and desire to resume ART. The Aging male's symptoms (AMS) scale, IIEF-5 and SF-36 were also evaluated at pre-initiation, termination of ART and the time of the survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean duration from the last treatment was 55 months. Compared with the treatment period, more than half of patients (57.5%) answered that their present condition was better. Scores on the AMS scale, IIEF and SF-36 were all improved significantly in the early stages of treatment and not worsened a long period of time after ART was discontinued.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For symptomatic Japanese hypogonadal patients, subjective effects of treatment were observed during the early treatment period and remained unchanged after discontinuation of ART. A short treatment period may thus be adequate in Japanese hypogonadal patients as regards symptomatic changes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology and Andrology, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata, Osaka, Japan. taniguhi@hirakata.kmu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hisanori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Gen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kawa
authors.forename: Hidefumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuda
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000728:Androgens / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001294:Attitude to Health; D016903:Drug Monitoring; D061345:Early Medical Intervention; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy; D006801:Humans; D007006:Hypogonadism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011379:Prognosis; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013739:Testosterone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D013739:Testosterone; C004648:testosterone enanthate