• Grace Huang, Elizabeth Tang, Adam Aakil, Stephan Anderson, Hernan Jara, Maithili Davda, Helene Stroh, Thomas G Travison, Shalender Bhasin, and Shehzad Basaria.
• Section of Men's Health: Aging and Metabolism (G.H., M.D., H.S., T.G.T., S.Bh., S.Ba.), Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115; and Department of Radiology (E.T., A.A., S.A., H.J.), Boston Medical Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118.
• J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 2014 Jul 1; 99 (7): E1287-93.

ObjectiveTo determine dose-dependent effects of T administration on cardiovascular risk markers in women with low T levels.MethodsSeventy-one hysterectomized women with or without oophorectomy with total T < 31 ng/dL and/or free T < 3.5 pg/mL received a standardized transdermal estradiol regimen during the 12-week run-in period and were then randomized to receive weekly im injections of placebo or 3-, 6.25-, 12.5-, or 25-mg T enanthate for 24 weeks. Total and free T levels were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and equilibrium dialysis, respectively. Insulin resistance and inflammatory markers were measured at baseline and 24 weeks. In a subset of women, magnetic resonance imaging of the abdomen was performed to quantify abdominal fat volume.ResultsFifty-nine women who completed the 24-week intervention were included in the final analysis. The five groups were similar at baseline. Mean on-treatment nadir total T concentrations were 14, 79, 105, 130, and 232 ng/dL in the placebo group and the 3-, 6.25-, 12.5-, and 25-mg groups, respectively. No significant changes in fasting glucose, fasting insulin, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, high sensitivity C-reactive protein, adiponectin, blood pressure, and heart rate were observed at any T dose when compared to placebo. Similarly, no dose- or concentration-dependent changes were observed in abdominal fat on magnetic resonance imaging.ConclusionShort-term T administration over a wide range of doses for 24 weeks in women with low T levels was not associated with worsening of cardiovascular risk markers.

26 keywords...

hide…