Topical Testosterone + Exercise No Aid for Hip Fracture Recovery in Women
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, May 20, 2025 -- Topical testosterone therapy does not significantly improve functional outcomes beyond supervised exercise training in older women recovering from a hip fracture, according to a study published online May 15 in JAMA Network Open.
Ellen F. Binder, M.D., from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and colleagues evaluated the effects of a supervised exercise program combined with topical testosterone therapy on functional outcomes in women aged 65 years or older with a recent hip fracture. The analysis included 122 women randomly assigned to exercise plus testosterone, exercise plus placebo, or enhanced usual care.
The researchers found no significant differences in the mean change in the six-minute walking distance between baseline and 24 weeks for exercise plus topical testosterone gel (53 patients; 42.7 m) versus exercise plus placebo gel (51 patients; 40.5 m) or enhanced usual care (18 patients; 37.7 m).
"It is notable that at the end of the intervention period, women assigned to exercise and testosterone had a significant reduction in the use of walking aids and greater improvement in a short-distance performance measure than women assigned to exercise and placebo," Binder said in a statement. "This finding will need further exploration to confirm whether testosterone therapy can facilitate recovery after a hip fracture in older women."
Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical and medical technology industries.
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.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted May 2025
Read this next
Skipping Breakfast, Eating Late May Increase Osteoporosis Risk
FRIDAY, Aug. 29, 2025 -- Lifestyle habits, including skipping breakfast and having a late dinner, are associated with an increased risk for osteoporotic fracture, according to a...
Most Adults Miss Symptoms of Hip Problems
THURSDAY, Aug. 28, 2025 -- Many adults do not recognize symptoms of hip problems, although a majority do understand that a clicking sensation in the hip is a sign of a hip...
Stopping Menopausal Hormone Therapy May Temporarily Increase Fracture Risk
WEDNESDAY, July 30, 2025 -- Stopping menopausal hormone therapy initially leads to several years of elevated fracture risk; however, this risk then decreases, first becoming...
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.