title: Testosterone and weight loss: the evidence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this article is to examine the contemporary data linking testosterone therapy in overweight and obese men with testosterone deficiency to increased lean body mass, decreased fat mass, improvement in overall body composition and sustained weight loss. This is of paramount importance because testosterone therapy in obese men with testosterone deficiency represents a novel and a timely therapeutic strategy for managing obesity in men with testosterone deficiency.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Long-term testosterone therapy in men with testosterone deficiency produces significant and sustained weight loss, marked reduction in waist circumference and BMI and improvement in body composition. Further, testosterone therapy ameliorates components of the metabolic syndrome. The aforementioned improvements are attributed to improved mitochondrial function, increased energy utilization, increased motivation and vigor resulting in improved cardio-metabolic function and enhanced physical activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The implication of testosterone therapy in management of obesity in men with testosterone deficiency is of paramount clinical significance, as it produces sustained weight loss without recidivism. On the contrary, alternative therapeutic approaches other than bariatric surgery failed to produce significant and sustained outcome and exhibit a high rate of recidivism. These findings represent strong foundations for testosterone therapy in obese men with testosterone deficiency and should spur clinical research for better understanding of usefulness of testosterone therapy in treatment of underlying pathophysiological conditions of obesity.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Biochemistry and Urology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Abdulmaged M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Traish
mesh_terms: D000728:Androgens / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001823:Body Composition; D003075:Coitus / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007006:Hypogonadism / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000172:deficiency / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D013739:Testosterone
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