Research news

Ng Tang Fui M, Prendergast LA, Dupuis P, et al. Effects of testosterone treatment on body fat and lean mass in obese men on a hypocaloric diet: a randomised controlled trial. BMC medicine. 2016;14(1):153.

Ng Tang Fui M, Hoermann R, Prendergast LA, Zajac JD, Grossmann M. Symptomatic response to testosterone treatment in dieting obese men with low testosterone levels in a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Int J Obes (Lond). 2017;41(3):420-426.

Ng Tang Fui M, Hoermann R, Grossmann M. Effect of testosterone treatment on adipokines and gut hormones in obese men on a hypocaloric diet. J Endocrine Society 2017.

Long-Term Testosterone Therapy Improves Cardiometabolic Function and Reduces Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Men with Hypogonadism: A Real-Life Observational Registry Study Setting Comparing Treated and Untreated (Control) Groups. Journal of cardiovascular pharmacology and therapeutics. 2017:epub. Traish A, Haider A, Haider K, Doros G, Saad F.

American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and American College of Endocrinology Comprehensive Clinical Practice Guidelines for Medical Care of Patients with Obesity. Garvey WT, Mechanick JI, Brett EM, et al. Endocrine practice: official journal of the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. 2016;22 Suppl 3:1-203.

The combined prevalence of overweight and obesity is 71% in adults, and up to 50 - 80% of obese men have testosterone deficiency (also known as hypogonadism). The most common comorbidity among the growing obese population is type 2 diabetes; about half of all men with type 2 diabetes have hypogonadism.

Testosterone treatment is not associated with increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events: results from the Registry of Hypogonadism in Men (RHYME). Maggi M, Wu FC, Jones TH, et al. Int J Clin Pract. 2016;70(10):843-852.

It is well-documented that testosterone therapy effectively restores testosterone levels in hypogonadal men and improves many health outcomes, such as quality of life, libido, metabolic parameters and body composition.

Testosterone Therapy in Patients with Treated and Untreated Prostate Cancer: Impact on Oncologic Outcomes. Ory J, Flannigan R, Lundeen C, Huang JG, Pommerville P, Goldenberg SL. J Urol. 2016;196(4):1082-1089.

Historically, prostate cancer – both active and treated - has been an absolute contraindication to testosterone therapy and – from a regulatory perspective – still is. The incidence of prostate cancer is higher in older men, in whom prostate cancer accounts for one in five new cancer diagnoses. Thanks to improvement in early detection and treatment of prostate cancer, prostate cancer mortality has decreased 50% during the past two decades, and more men are living with a history of prostate cancer.

Testosterone treatment is not associated with increased risk of prostate cancer or worsening of lower urinary tract symptoms: prostate health outcomes in the Registry of Hypogonadism in Men.Debruyne FM, Behre HM, Roehrborn CG, et al. BJU Int. 2017;119(2):216-224.

A common belief is that testosterone deficiency is an “old man’s issue”. This is very wrong. Actually, an excess amount of body fat can cause a man’s testosterone levels to drop as much as 10 years of aging. Several studies have demonstrated that too much body fat is associated with reduced testosterone levels independent of aging.

Excess intra-abdominal fat (also known as visceral fat) – a hallmark of the metabolic syndrome - is particularly detrimental, and low levels of both total testosterone and free testosterone are consistent features of men with metabolic syndrome. Therefore, it has been suggested that low testosterone levels should be included in the definition of the metabolic syndrome.

Fundamental Concepts Regarding Testosterone Deficiency and Treatment: International Expert Consensus Resolutions. Morgentaler A, Zitzmann M, Traish AM, et al. Mayo Clin. Proc. 2016;91(7):881-896.

Testosterone deficiency and treatment is a very misunderstood and controversial topic among scientists, regulatory agencies (such as the FDA and EMA) and doctors, as well as the popular media.

Men with testosterone deficiency and a history of cardiovascular diseases benefit from long-term testosterone therapy: observational, real-life data from a registry study. Vascular health and risk management. Haider A, Yassin A, Haider KS, Doros G, Saad F, Rosano GM. 2016;12:251-261.

The topic of testosterone and cardiovascular disease has been receiving a lot of attention over the past years. Despite the common belief that testosterone may increase the incidence of coronary artery disease, the scientific evidence shows the opposite; testosterone deficiency is associated with increased prevalence and severity of coronary atherosclerosis and testosterone therapy is associated with beneficial cardiovascular outcomes.

The American Urological Association (AUA) is a premier urologic association, which provides the global urology community opportunities to present, learn and share news of discovery and advancement. In this editorial we summarize four key presentations from the AUA 2016 annual congress in San Diego, May 6-10, 2016.