Billions of dollars are spent on testosterone therapy for aging men who worry about sexual impotence and quality of life -- but it may all be for nothing, a study has found.
A surprising new study has found that millions of men worldwide who have been taking testosterone therapy to treat erectile dysfunction, weight gain, and quality of life issues like depression may have spent their money in vain.
A double-blinded study on the issue — the largest ever conducted — by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston found that men who took testosterone treatments so no discernible benefit between such a treatment and a placebo, according to a Huffington Post report.
Dr. Shalender Bhasin, an endocrinologist who led the team, took a group of 306 men who were over 60 years old and had either low or normal levels of testosterone in their body. He gave them either testosterone gel or a placebo, which they had to take every day for three years.
The results? Not good if you’re one of those men who spends money on such treatments. The study found no improvement in sexual function for either those with lower or normal testosterone levels. However, fortunately the study also found that previous studies that suggested such treatments are bad for the heart may have been in error, and there is no cardiovascular risk posed by such treatments.
Bhasin did caution that this applied only to those with only somewhat lower than normal testosterone levels — those with extremely low testosterone due to testicular or pituitary issues can still greatly benefit from testosterone treatments, and he even went so far as to say that there was no question about it based on previous studies.
However, for those who aren’t in the extreme bracket, the multibillion-dollar industry of testosterone supplements sold by pharmaceutical companies may be one big sham, if the results of the study hold true.
