Testosterone Treatment Does Not Cut Fracture Incidence in Men With Hypogonadism
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Jan. 18, 2024 -- Testosterone treatment does not result in a lower incidence of clinical fractures among middle-aged and older men with hypogonadism, according to a study published in the Jan. 18 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Peter J. Snyder, M.D., from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and colleagues examined the risk for clinical fracture in a time-to-event analysis subtrial of a randomized placebo-controlled trial that evaluated the cardiovascular safety of testosterone treatment in middle-aged and older men with hypogonadism. Eligible men were aged 45 to 80 years with preexisting, or a high risk for, cardiovascular disease; one or more symptoms of hypogonadism; and two morning testosterone concentrations <300 ng/dL in fasting plasma samples obtained at least 48 hours apart. A total of 5,204 participants were randomly assigned to apply testosterone or placebo gel daily (2,601 and 2,603, respectively).
The researchers found that a clinical fracture occurred in 3.50 and 2.46 percent of participants in the testosterone and placebo groups, respectively, after a median follow-up of 3.19 years (hazard ratio, 1.43). For all other fracture end points, the fracture incidence also seemed higher in the testosterone group.
"We did not expect these results, because most previous studies showed that testosterone improved many measures of bone structure and quality," the authors write.
The study was funded by AbbVie, Acerus Pharmaceuticals, Endo Pharmaceuticals, and Upsher-Smith Laboratories.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted January 2024
Read this next
Osteoporosis Screening Rates Low for Asian American Medicare Beneficiaries
WEDNESDAY, May 1, 2024 -- Rates of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) screening for osteoporosis are lower than expected for Asian American Medicare beneficiaries, according...
People With Acute Calcium Pyrophosphate Face Doubled Risk for Fracture
MONDAY, April 29, 2024 -- Fracture risk is nearly doubled in individuals with acute calcium pyrophosphate (CPP) crystal arthritis, according to a study recently published in...
Antihypertensive Meds Initiation Linked to Fractures in Nursing Home Seniors
TUESDAY, April 23, 2024 -- For longer-term nursing home residents, initiation of antihypertensive medication is associated with an increased risk for fractures and falls...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.