Reprinted with the kind permission of Life Extension.
August 23 2017.An article appearing on July 18, 2017 in theJournal of Urologydocuments improvements in sexual function, urinary function and quality of life among men who receivedtestosterone replacement therapy.
The prospective registry study involved 656 men with low testosterone levels and symptoms of testosterone deficiency, among whom 360 were regularly treated with parenteral testosterone undecanoate for up to 10 years. The remainder of the subjects, who chose not to be treated with testosterone, received biannual routine clinic visits.
The researchers, from Boston University School of Medicine and School of Public Health in collaboration with German urologists, found that men who received testosterone therapy experienced significant decreases in their International Prostate Symptom Score, post-voiding bladder volume and Aging Males Symptoms scale, which assesses health-related quality of life. The percentage of patients without erectile dysfunction significantly improved in the testosterone treated group, from 17.1% at the beginning of the study, to 74.4% of the study at the last visit. In contrast, subjects who did not receive the hormone experienced deterioration in erectile function as well as in voiding functions. Prostate specific antigen (PSA), a marker which, when elevated, is associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer, remained unchanged in both groups over the course of the study.
While there were five deaths, 8 nonfatal strokes and 8 nonfatal heart attacks over the 8-month median follow-up period in the untreated group, none of these events occurred among those who received testosterone.
Long-term testosterone therapy, in men with testosterone deficiency, was well tolerated with excellent adherence suggesting a high level of patient satisfaction, authors Karim Sultan Haider and colleagues conclude. A progressive and sustained improvement in urinary and sexual function was recorded in men receiving long-term testosterone therapy, contributing to overall improvement in quality of life.
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Testosterone replacement therapy associated with improved urinary, sexual function - ProHealth
