title: Long-term testosterone therapy in hypogonadal men ameliorates elements of the metabolic syndrome: an observational, long-term registry study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goal of this study was to determine if long-term testosterone (T) therapy in men with hypogonadism, henceforth referred to as testosterone deficiency (TD), ameliorates or improves metabolic syndrome (MetS) components.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a cumulative registry study of 255 men, aged between 33 and 69 years (mean 58.02 ± 6.30) with subnormal plasma total T levels (mean: 9.93 ± 1.38; range: 5.89-12.13 nmol/l) as well as at least mild symptoms of TD assessed by the Aging Males' symptoms scale. All men received treatment with parenteral T undecanoate 1000 mg (Nebido(®) , Bayer Pharma, Berlin, Germany), administered at baseline and 6 weeks and thereafter every 12 weeks for up to 60 months. Lipids, glucose, liver enzymes and haemoglobin A1c analyses were carried out in a commercial laboratory. Anthropometric measurements were also made throughout the study period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Testosterone therapy restored physiological T levels and resulted in reductions in total cholesterol (TC) [7.29 ± 1.03 to 4.87 ± 0.29 mmol/l (281.58 ± 39.8 to 188.12 ± 11.31 mg/dl)], low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [4.24 ± 1.07 to 2.84 ± 0.92 mmol/l (163.79 ± 41.44 to 109.84 ± 35.41 mg/dl)], triglycerides [3.14 ± 0.58 to 2.16 ± 0.13 mmol/l (276.16 ± 51.32 to 189.78 ± 11.33 mg/dl)] and increased high-density lipoprotein levels [1.45 ± 0.46 to 1.52 ± 0.45 mmol/l (56.17 ± 17.79 to 58.85 ± 17.51 mg/dl)] (p < 0.0001 for all). There were marked reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, blood glucose, haemoglobin A1c , C-reactive protein (6.29 ± 7.96 to 1.03 ± 1.87 U/l), alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase (p < 0.0001 for all).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-term T therapy, at physiological levels, ameliorates MetS components. These findings strongly suggest that T therapy in hypogonadal men may prove useful in reducing the risk of cardiometabolic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Biochemistry and Urology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Traish
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haider
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Doros
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Saad
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000728:Androgens / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000378:metabolism; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000378:metabolism; D005215:Fasting / Q000097:blood; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007006:Hypogonadism / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011467:Prostate / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D012042:Registries; D013739:Testosterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D001786:Blood Glucose; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D013739:Testosterone; D014280:Triglycerides; C010792:testosterone undecanoate