title: Androgen replacement therapy improves psychological distress and health-related quality of life in late onset hypogonadism patients in Chinese population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Late onset hypogonadism negatively impacts on men's psychological well-being. This study was conducted to examine the interrelationship among symptoms of testosterone deficiency, psychological well-being, and quality of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eligible subjects were randomized into active treatment and control groups, and were asked to complete the following questionnaires at baseline and month 6: aging male's symptoms (AMS) rating scale, hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), perceived stress scale (PSS) and the short form health survey-12 (SF-12). In this study, men were treated and monitored for 6 months with oral testosterone undecanoate (TU) capsules or vitamin E/C capsules in a single-blinded fashion. All in the active treatment group were administered a total of 120 - 160 mg TU orally on a daily basis. Total and free T levels between baseline and month 6 were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and sixty eligible subjects were recruited and followed up. In the active treatment group, total serum testosterone concentrations before and after intervention were (7.98 ± 0.73) nmol/L and (13.7 ± 1.18) nmol/L. The mean HADS anxiety subscale scores for the subjects at baseline and at month 6 were 3.47 ± 0.4 and 1.72 ± 0.2, respectively (t = 1.526, P < 0.05). Additionally, the mean HADS depression subscale scores were 4.91 ± 0.6 and 2.39 ± 0.3, respectively (t = 3.466, P < 0.05). The mean scores on PSS for the subjects at baseline and at month 6 were 12.88 ± 2.1 and 9.83 ± 1.7, respectively (t = 4.009, P < 0.05). Significantly improved SF-12 could be observed (t = 1.433 and 1.118, respectively; both P < 0.05). No significant changes were observed in the control group at month 6.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Androgen replacement not only improves androgen deficiency associated symptoms, but also enhances comprehensive improvement in psychological issues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing 100044, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Wei
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhen-Hua
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiao-Wei
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Ye-Qing
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Wen-Jun
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Xiao-Feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Huan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Yong-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy*; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy; D006801:Humans; D007006:Hypogonadism / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone