title: Effect of Testosterone Treatment on Volumetric Bone Density and Strength in Older Men With Low Testosterone: A Controlled Clinical Trial.
abstract: As men age, they experience decreased serum testosterone concentrations, decreased bone mineral density (BMD), and increased risk of fracture.
  
  
  
  To determine whether testosterone treatment of older men with low testosterone increases volumetric BMD (vBMD) and estimated bone strength.
  
  
  
  Placebo-controlled, double-blind trial with treatment allocation by minimization at 9 US academic medical centers of men 65 years or older with 2 testosterone concentrations averaging less than 275 ng/L participating in the Testosterone Trials from December 2011 to June 2014. The analysis was a modified intent-to-treat comparison of treatment groups by multivariable linear regression adjusted for balancing factors as required by minimization.
  
  
  
  Testosterone gel, adjusted to maintain the testosterone level within the normal range for young men, or placebo gel for 1 year.
  
  
  
  Spine and hip vBMD was determined by quantitative computed tomography at baseline and 12 months. Bone strength was estimated by finite element analysis of quantitative computed tomography data. Areal BMD was assessed by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry at baseline and 12 months.
  
  
  
  There were 211 participants (mean [SD] age, 72.3 [5.9] years; 86% white; mean [SD] body mass index, 31.2 [3.4]). Testosterone treatment was associated with significantly greater increases than placebo in mean spine trabecular vBMD (7.5%; 95% CI, 4.8% to 10.3% vs 0.8%; 95% CI, -1.9% to 3.4%; treatment effect, 6.8%; 95% CI, 4.8%-8.7%; P < .001), spine peripheral vBMD, hip trabecular and peripheral vBMD, and mean estimated strength of spine trabecular bone (10.8%; 95% CI, 7.4% to 14.3% vs 2.4%; 95% CI, -1.0% to 5.7%; treatment effect, 8.5%; 95% CI, 6.0%-10.9%; P < .001), spine peripheral bone, and hip trabecular and peripheral bone. The estimated strength increases were greater in trabecular than peripheral bone and greater in the spine than hip. Testosterone treatment increased spine areal BMD but less than vBMD.
  
  
  
  Testosterone treatment for 1 year of older men with low testosterone significantly increased vBMD and estimated bone strength, more in trabecular than peripheral bone and more in the spine than hip. A larger, longer trial could determine whether this treatment also reduces fracture risk.
  
  
  
  clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00799617.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Snyder
authors.affiliation: O.N. Diagnostics, LLC, Berkeley, California.
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Kopperdahl
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
authors.forename: Alisa J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Stephens-Shields
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
authors.forename: Susan S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Ellenberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Jane A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cauley
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.|Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis.
authors.forename: Kristine E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Ensrud
authors.affiliation: Division of Preventive Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham.
authors.forename: Cora E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barrett-Connor
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco.
authors.forename: Ann V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.affiliation: O.N. Diagnostics, LLC, Berkeley, California.
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Research Program in Men's Health: Aging and Metabolism, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Shalender
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhasin
authors.affiliation: Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.|Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Glenn R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatric Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Department of Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle.|Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle.
authors.forename: Alvin M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Harbor-University of California at Los Angeles Medical Center, Torrance.|Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute, Torrance, California.
authors.forename: Ronald S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Swerdloff
authors.affiliation: Research Program in Men's Health: Aging and Metabolism, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Shehzad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Basaria
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
authors.forename: Susan J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Diem
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Harbor-University of California at Los Angeles Medical Center, Torrance.|Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute, Torrance, California.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
authors.forename: Xiaoling
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cifelli
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
authors.forename: Darlene
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dougar
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
authors.forename: Bret
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zeldow
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco.|Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco.
authors.forename: Douglas C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.affiliation: Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley.
authors.forename: Tony M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Keaveny
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon / Q000379:methods; D000368:Aged; D000728:Androgens / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004333:Drug Administration Routes; D016903:Drug Monitoring; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D013739:Testosterone