Aging men who are losing their sexual pep can receive a love-life boost from testosterone replacement therapy, according to results from the largest "low-T" clinical trial to date. Older men treated with testosterone gel experienced a moderate but significant improvement in their sex drive, sexual activity and erectile function compared to men given a placebo gel, said lead researcher Dr. Glenn Cunningham. He's a professor of endocrinology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
"We found that testosterone improved all three, which is pretty remarkable, particularly when you're dealing with an older age population," Cunningham said of the study, which was partially funded by the pharmaceutical industry.
According to Dr. Brad Anawalt, older men who use testosterone therapy won't find themselves transformed into sexual dynamos. But they will experience a measurable improvement in their sex lives, he said. Anawalt, who reviewed the study's findings, is a professor of endocrinology with University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. "Men treated with testosterone reported an increase in orgasm of about one every week versus one every 10 days," Anawalt said. "That works out to one more orgasm per month compared to placebo. Significant? Up to the man."
All men experience a natural decline in testosterone levels as they age. That causes a decrease in energy and sex drive in some, the study authors said. A low testosterone -- or "low-T" -- industry has flourished over the past 15 years, with aging baby boomer men looking to testosterone therapy as a potential "fountain of youth." The number of men beginning testosterone treatments has nearly quadrupled since 2000, the study authors noted.
HealthDay