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Testosterone treatment of late-onset hypogonadism – benefits and risks

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Abstract

As men age, their serum testosterone concentration falls, the total testosterone concentration barely but the free testosterone concentration more so. Testosterone treatment of older men who have low testosterone concentrations can ameliorate several consequences of this fall, including libido and sexual activity, distance walked, hemoglobin and volumetric bone mineral density and strength, but not vitality and cognitive function. The possibility that testosterone treatment of late-onset hypogonadism increases the risks of benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostate cancer or heart disease has been suggested but will not be determined until larger and longer trials are conducted.

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  1. Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Peter Snyder

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  1. Peter Snyder
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Correspondence to Peter Snyder.

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Snyder, P. Testosterone treatment of late-onset hypogonadism – benefits and risks. Rev Endocr Metab Disord 23, 1151–1157 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11154-022-09712-1

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