Common Questions
What is the effect of testosterone replacement on bone density in hypogonadal men?
Overt hypogonadism has been associated with osteoporosis in men. Androgen replacement in hypogonadal men decreases bone resorption and increases bone mass. In one study, bone mineral density (BMD) increased by 5 percent over the 12- to 18-month treatment of hypogonadal men.
In elderly men with age-related declines in testosterone, only those with a serum testosterone level below 200 ng/dL seem to demonstrate an increase in BMD. Presently, no studies of the effect of androgen therapy on fracture rates are available.
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- Behre HM, Kliesch S, Leifke F, et al. Long-term effect of testosterone therapy on bone mineral density in hypogonadal men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1997; 82: 2386.
- Greenspan SL, Oppenheim DS, Klibanski A. Importance of gonadal steroids to bone mass in men with hyperprolactinemic hypogonadism. Ann Intern Med 1989; 110: 526.
- Finkelstein JS, Klibanski A, Neer RM, et al. Increases in bone density during treatment of men with idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1989; 69: 776.
- Kamel HK. Hormone replacement therapy and fractures in older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc 2001; 49(2): 179-87.