Testosterone gel a dud for older men’s memory
Anti-aging claims come up short in landmark research.
Testosterone CHICAGO — treatment did not improve older men’s memory or mental function in the latest results from landmark government research that challenges the anti-aging claims of popular supple- ments.
While testosterone use for one year appeared to strengthen bones and reduce anemia, it also showed signs of worsening artery disease, and questions remain about other potential risks. The researchers said more studies are needed to determine long-term effects — the kind of research the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration has already asked supple- ment makers to conduct.
“I don’t think anybody would interpret these results as saying, ‘Wow, this is a fountain of youth, this is a
magical anti-aging potion,’” said study co-author Susan Ellenberg, a University of Pennsylvania researcher. The results are from the
final four studies in a seven-part project mostly funded by the National Institute on Aging, involv- ing nearly 800 U.S. men aged 65 and older with low testosterone levels. The goal was to see if rubbing testos- terone gel on the skin daily for a year could treat prob- lems linked with low levels of the male hormone, which declines with age. Half the men in each group used the real thing and half used a fake gel.
Results published a year ago from the same research linked testosterone with mostly modest improvement in sexual performance, walk- ing strength and mood. The key new findings:
Testosterone had no effect on memory or mental function, based on tests given before, halfway and at the end of treatment to nearly 500 men with age-re- lated memory decline.
Among almost 140 men who underwent heart artery imaging tests to see if the hor- mone slowed progression of plaque, those who used testosterone had more plaque buildup and narrower arteries after a year than the fake gel group. Those changes could signal increased chances for heart attacks although none occurred in the study. Men in this substudy were already more vul- nerable for heart problems because of conditions including artery disease, obesity and high blood pressure.
Among about 200 men given bone imaging tests before and at the end of treatment, those on testosterone showed increases in bone density and strength, especially in the spine, while minimal changes were found in the group that used fake gel. The improvement was similar to bone changes seen with treatment for osteoporosis, although most men studied did not have that bone-thinning condition.
Among 126 men with anemia, a fatigue-linked condition involving inadequate red blood cells, those on testosterone showed substantial improvement. By the study’s end, anemia had vanished in almost 60 percent of men on testosterone compared with 22 percent of the fake gel group. The hormone group also reported having more energy. “The overall health benefits, however, remain to be determined,” the researchers said.
The studies were published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association and JAMA Internal Medicine.
The goal was to see if rubbing testosterone gel on the skin daily could treat low-hormone problems.