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This physician-based survey investigated the variations in diagnosing and treating testosterone deficiency (hypogonadism) worldwide in 2010. The study, conducted in Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, Brazil and Saudi Arabia between April and May 2010, involved 353 physicians who were interviewed to help understand the reasons testosterone therapy was or was not used, physicians’ safety concerns and the actual use of testosterone preparations for treating erectile dysfunction. The results of this survey were compared with a previous survey carried out by the same investigators in 2006 to see what changes in clinical practice have happened over the last 4 years.

This large retrospective observational study of 990 men with erectile dysfunction (problems achieving or maintaining an erection) looked at the link between low levels of testosterone (also known as hypogonadism) and various chronic illnesses. The average age of men in this study was 57 years and many had chronic conditions such as diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, work stress and anxiety/depression. Overall, 36% of these men had low testosterone levels.

This large retrospective observational cohort study of 1031 men with low testosterone (also known as hypogonadism) from seven Veteran Affairs medical centres in the US was the first to look for a link between testosterone treatment and mortality (death rate) in men with low testosterone. During the three and a half year study, 39% of the men received testosterone replacement therapy (intramuscular injections, testosterone patches or gel), and 61% did not. The mortality of treated men was compared with that of untreated men. The men in the study were aged 40 years or older (average age 62 years), with no history of prostate cancer, but they had a high number of other medical conditions, including diabetes (38%), sexual dysfunction (low libido; 36%) and heart disease (21%).

The rapid increase in rates of obesity in both the developed and the developing world has serious consequences. Nearly all obese adults suffer from at least one obesity-related disease, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, cancer, or joint disorders. A recent comprehensive review has looked beyond the place of testosterone in the male reproductive system and for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (impotence) to examine the key role of testosterone in the development and treatment of obesity and associated diseases. The article reviewed the evidence for the effects on insulin sensitivity, visceral fat and cholesterol levels of returning low testosterone levels to normal, and addressed the safety of testosterone, particularly in elderly men.

This article reviewed what is known about the consequences of low testosterone (also known as hypogonadism) in middle-aged and older men, with practical information on the benefits and risks of testosterone replacement. The authors examined evidence from a wide range of studies about low testosterone and its treatment to prepare their review.

This review discussed the relationship between low testosterone level and frailty in elderly men and evaluated the evidence which shows that testosterone replacement therapy improves the physical functioning and quality of life of elderly frail men with confirmed low testosterone levels.

This study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, identified the most important symptoms linked to late-onset hypogonadism (low testosterone levels in aging men) in a large group of men representative of the general population. When testosterone levels were also taken into consideration, having these three symptoms and low testosterone levels was a specific diagnosis of late-onset hypogonadism.

There is increasing evidence that erectile dysfunction may be a warning sign of a number of disease conditions, such as high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, depression and coronary heart disease.

Nearly 1700 men attending an andrology clinic for erectile dysfunction were monitored for an average of 4.3 years to find out whether those with low testosterone levels were more likely to suffer a major cardiovascular disease event, such as a heart attack or stroke.

Aging is associated with a reduction in testosterone levels in the blood. This reduction causes a number of symptoms, one of which is losing muscle mass.

This small, well-designed 12-month study looked at the effect of the testosterone patch on body composition and hormones in 60 men aged ≥55 years who were healthy and not obese, and who had low-to-normal testosterone levels and typical testosterone deficiency symptoms.