Testosterone for older men

by Dr Norman Swan

The largest trial of its kind to date has found that testosterone supplements for older men had no real benefits.

29 01 2008

Could testosterone be an elixir of life? Some women think so, and are taking it to improve their libido – although there's doubt that it works.

Lots of men are tempted to take testosterone supplements, and indeed a drop in testosterone levels matches the shrivelling of our bits and brains as we age.

So why not give it a go, say some, and build back our muscles and minds?

So popular is this idea – at least in the United States – that authorities have been encouraging testosterone trials, and one has recently been published.

It was the largest trial of its kind to date but still not huge – about 220 healthy men aged around 67, with lower than average testosterone levels for their age.

They were randomly allocated to 160mg of testosterone a day for six months or placebo, and had a huge battery of tests of mental and physical functioning.

Thinking ability didn't change, nor did quality of life, mobility or muscle strength, even though lean body mass went up. Waist measurements didn't budge; nor did bone density.

The good form of cholesterol dropped, which was a worry. Glucose and insulin levels favoured the testosterone group.

A longer trial with larger numbers might have shown bigger benefits, but equally might have shown greater harms. At this stage you'd have to say that testosterone supplements for otherwise healthy older men are not worth the money.