Treatment options for male hypogonadism
Abstract and Figures
Male hypogonadism is a common condition widely associated with the aging process. Understanding of this condition is continuing to grow as new information is available. Pharmacists are in a very unique position to work with patients and physicians in achieving better diagnosis and treatment plans for the hundreds of thousands of men in the U.S. who are hypogonadal. This article discusses various methods that can be employed to restore testosterone in men and the varying expectations associated with each treatment methods.
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Introduction:
Male testosterone deficiency is associated with bad sexual function and quality of life (QoL). The aim of this study was to determine whether a daily dose of 25 mg clomiphene citrate (CC) is effective in stimulating the endogenous testosterone production pathway and to address the applicability of this medication as a therapeutic option for symptomatic hypogonadism.
Materials and methods:
This was a prospective study. Men with low sexual desire and testosterone levels (T) below 400 ng/dL were selected to receive CC. Blood samples were obtained to determine baseline measurements of serum T, estradiol, LH, lipid profile and fasting plasma glucose. Each patient was treated with a daily dose of 25 mg CC for at least 3 months. Patients were asked if they experienced any side effects related to the use of CC and if they experienced any improvement in their sexual profile. Paired samples T-test was utilized to analyze responses to therapy.
Results:
Our cohort consisted of 125 men with hypogonadism and low libido. Mean age was 62 years (± 11.1 years). Serum T levels ranged from 309 ng/dL (baseline, mean value) to 642 ng/dL (3 months after CC initiation, mean value) (p < 0.001). Serum cholesterol levels ranged from 197 to 186 mg/dL (p = 0.003). There were no statistically significant differences when comparing pre and post-treatment HDL-Cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting plasma glucose and prolactin. All men reported improvements in the post-treatment QoL scores. No serious adverse events were recorded.
Conclusions:
The CC was effective in stimulating the endogenous production of testosterone. A lower level of total cholesterol was verified after three months of treatment. This medication should be considered as a therapeutic option for some patients with symptomatic male testosterone deficiency.
Testosterone supplementation has been shown to increase muscle mass and strength in healthy older men. The safety and efficacy of testosterone treatment in older men who have limitations in mobility have not been studied.
Community-dwelling men, 65 years of age or older, with limitations in mobility and a total serum testosterone level of 100 to 350 ng per deciliter (3.5 to 12.1 nmol per liter) or a free serum testosterone level of less than 50 pg per milliliter (173 pmol per liter) were randomly assigned to receive placebo gel or testosterone gel, to be applied daily for 6 months. Adverse events were categorized with the use of the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities classification. The data and safety monitoring board recommended that the trial be discontinued early because there was a significantly higher rate of adverse cardiovascular events in the testosterone group than in the placebo group.
A total of 209 men (mean age, 74 years) were enrolled at the time the trial was terminated. At baseline, there was a high prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and obesity among the participants. During the course of the study, the testosterone group had higher rates of cardiac, respiratory, and dermatologic events than did the placebo group. A total of 23 subjects in the testosterone group, as compared with 5 in the placebo group, had cardiovascular-related adverse events. The relative risk of a cardiovascular-related adverse event remained constant throughout the 6-month treatment period. As compared with the placebo group, the testosterone group had significantly greater improvements in leg-press and chest-press strength and in stair climbing while carrying a load.
In this population of older men with limitations in mobility and a high prevalence of chronic disease, the application of a testosterone gel was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular adverse events. The small size of the trial and the unique population prevent broader inferences from being made about the safety of testosterone therapy. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00240981.)
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) affects men and women differently with women having a lower incidence and later onset of disease. Research has recently refocused interest on the cardiovascular role of androgens. The purpose of this review is to summarize the evidence available on the association between testosterone and cardiovascular health in postmenopausal women. Published studies relating testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) to CVD and its risk factors were reviewed. Studies included in this review suggest that increased androgenicity, characterized by high testosterone and low SHBG levels, is associated with an adverse CVD risk factor profile in postmenopausal women. However, evidence for an association with cardiovascular events is lacking and it is uncertain whether the observed associations with endogenous testosterone have clinical implications regarding the use of postmenopausal testosterone therapy. Large-scale, longitudinal studies relating testosterone and SHBG levels to cardiovascular risk factors and endpoints are needed to determine the temporal relationship between androgenicity and cardiovascular risk and to ascertain the long-term efficacy and safety of testosterone therapy in postmenopausal women.
Transdermal testosterone gels were first introduced in the US in 2000. Since then, they have emerged as a favorable mode of testosterone substitution. Serum testosterone levels reach a steady-state in the first 24 hours of application and remain in the normal range for the duration of the application. This pharmacokinetic profile is comparable to that of testosterone patch but superior to injectable testosterone esters that are associated with peaks and troughs with each dose. Testosterone gels are as efficacious as patches and injectable forms in their effects on sexual function and mood. Anticipated increases in prostate-specific antigen with testosterone therapy are not significantly different with testosterone gels, and the risk of polycythemia is lower than injectable modalities. Application site reactions, a major drawback of testosterone patches, occur less frequently with testosterone gels. However, inter-personal transfer is a concern if appropriate precautions are not taken. Superior tolerability and dose flexibility make testosterone gel highly desirable over other modalities of testosterone replacement. Androgel and Testim, the two currently available testosterone gel products in the US, have certain brand-specific properties that clinicians may consider prior to prescribing.
Increased longevity and population aging will increase the number of men with late onset hypogonadism. It is a common condition, but often underdiagnosed and undertreated. The indication of testosterone-replacement therapy (TRT) treatment requires the presence of low testosterone level, and symptoms and signs of hypogonadism. Although controversy remains regarding indications for testosterone supplementation in aging men due to lack of large-scale, long-term studies assessing the benefits and risks of testosterone-replacement therapy in men, reports indicate that TRT may produce a wide range of benefits for men with hypogonadism that include improvement in libido and sexual function, bone density, muscle mass, body composition, mood, erythropoiesis, cognition, quality of life and cardiovascular disease. Perhaps the most controversial area is the issue of risk, especially possible stimulation of prostate cancer by testosterone, even though no evidence to support this risk exists. Other possible risks include worsening symptoms of benign prostatic hypertrophy, liver toxicity, hyperviscosity, erythrocytosis, worsening untreated sleep apnea or severe heart failure. Despite this controversy, testosterone supplementation in the United States has increased substantially over the past several years. The physician should discuss with the patient the potential benefits and risks of TRT. The purpose of this review is to discuss what is known and not known regarding the benefits and risks of TRT.
Now in its fourth edition Testosterone: Action, Deficiency, Substitution provides the most up-to-date and comprehensive source of information on testosterone and its role in human physiology and pathology. It covers biosynthesis and mechanisms of action and reviews their effects on brain and behavior, spermatogenesis, hair growth, bones, muscles, erythropoiesis, the cardiovascular system and the prostate. The therapeutic uses of testosterone preparations are carefully evaluated as well as its abuse and detection in competitive sport. This new edition also devotes sections to exploring the effects of testosterone on female physiology and sexual function, and the experimental use of testosterone in male hormonal contraception. Testosterone: Action, Deficiency, Substitution has been written and edited by world experts in the fields of clinical andrology and endocrinology and provides a unique and invaluable guide for andrologists, endocrinologists, urologists, internists and those working in reproductive medicine.
Study Type – Therapy (population cohort)
Level of Evidence 2a
What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?
Clomiphene citrate (CC) has previously been documented to be efficacious in the treatment of hypogonadism. However little is known about the long term efficacy and safety of CC. Our study demonstrates that CC is efficacious after 3 years of therapy. Testosterone levels and bone mineral density measurement improved significantly and were sustained over this prolonged period. Subjective improvements were also demonstrated. No adverse events were reported.
Study Type – Therapy (case series)
Level of Evidence 4
What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?
Hypogonadism is a prevalent problem, increasing in frequency as men age. It is most commonly treated by testosterone supplementation therapy but in younger patients this can lead to testicular atrophy with subsequent exogenous testosterone dependency and may impair spermatogenesis. Clomiphene citrate (CC) may be used as an alternative treatment in these patients with hypogonadism when maintenance of fertility is desired.
This study shows that CC is a safe and efficacious drug to use as an alternative to exogenous testosterone. Not only have we validated previous findings of other papers but have proven our findings over a much longer period (mean duration of treatment 19 months). This prospective study is the largest to date assessing both the objective hormone response to CC therapy as well as the subjective response based on a validated questionnaire.
Oral testosterone undecanoate (TU) is used to treat testosterone deficiency; however, oral TU treatment elevates dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which may be associated with an increased risk of acne, male pattern baldness and prostate hyperplasia. Co-administration of 5α-reductase inhibitors with other formulations of oral testosterone suppresses DHT production and increases serum testosterone. We hypothesized that finasteride would increase serum testosterone and lower DHT during treatment with oral TU. Therefore, we studied the steady-state pharmacokinetics of oral TU, 200 mg equivalents of testosterone twice daily for 7 days, alone and with finasteride 0.5 and 1.0 mg po twice daily in an open-label, three-way crossover study in 11 young men with experimentally induced hypogonadism. On the seventh day of each dosing period, serum testosterone, DHT and oestradiol were measured at baseline and 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 13, 14, 16, 20 and 24 h after the morning dose. Serum testosterone and DHT were significantly increased into and above their normal ranges similarly by all three treatments. Co-administration of finasteride at 0.5 and 1.0 mg po twice daily had no significant effect on either serum testosterone or DHT. Oral TU differs from other formulations of oral testosterone in its response to concomitant inhibition of 5α-reductase, perhaps because of its unique lymphatic route of absorption.
Men with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) often have low testosterone levels. Elevating low testosterone levels may improve features of the MetS and glycemic control. In a single blind, 52-week randomized clinical trial, the effects of supervised diet and exercise (D&E) with or without transdermal testosterone administration on components of the MetS in hypogonadal men with the MetS and newly diagnosed T2D were assessed. A total of 32 hypogonadal men (total testosterone <12.0 nmol/L) with newly diagnosed T2D and with the MetS as defined by the Adult Treatment Panel III and the International Diabetes Federation received supervised D&E, but 16 received it in combination with testosterone gel (50 mg) once daily (n = 16). No glucose-lowering agents were administered prior to or during the study period. Outcome measures were components of the MetS as defined by the Adult Treatment Panel III and the International Diabetes Federation. Serum testosterone, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)), fasting plasma glucose, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride concentrations, and the waist circumference improved in both treatment groups after 52 weeks of treatment. Addition of testosterone significantly further improved these measures compared with D&E alone. All D&E plus testosterone patients reached the HbA(1c) goal of less than 7.0%; 87.5% of them reached an HbA(1c) of less than 6.5%. Based on Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines, 81.3% of the patients randomized to D&E plus testosterone no longer matched the criteria of the MetS, whereas 31.3% of the D&E alone participants did. Additionally, testosterone treatment improved insulin sensitivity, adiponectin, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. Addition of testosterone to supervised D&E results in greater therapeutic improvements of glycemic control and reverses the MetS after 52 weeks of treatment in hypogonadal patients with the MetS and newly diagnosed T2D.