Is Testosterone Replacement Therapy Effective and Safe Even for Eugonadal Men With Symptoms of Late-Onset Hypogonadism?

Objective: To clarify the efficacy and safety of testosterone replacement treatment for eugonadal patients with symptoms of late-onset hypogonadism.

Materials and methods: 565 eugonadal men with symptoms of late-onset hypogonadism who underwent testosterone replacement treatment were included in this study. Physical factors, laboratory and endocrinologic variables, and scores of several questionnaires were evaluated. Testosterone replacement treatment was administered with intramuscular injection of 250 mg of testosterone esters, and efficacy was assessed by patient satisfaction. First, we evaluated the efficacy rate and safety of testosterone replacement treatment and then investigated the independent factors influencing its efficacy.

Results: Testosterone replacement treatment was effective in 131 of 216 patients (60.6%), 111 of 163 patients (68.1%), and 126 of 186 patients (67.7%) with mental, physical, and sexual dysfunction, respectively. The overall efficacy rate was 65.1%. No side effects were observed after testosterone replacement treatment. Only the total score of the Aging Male Symptoms rating scale was identified as a factor predictive of patient satisfaction.

Conclusions: This study is the first, to our knowledge, to report the efficacy and safety of testosterone replacement treatment for eugonadal men with symptoms of late-onset hypogonadism.