Androgen Replacement Therapy in the Aging Male—A Critical Evaluation

Abstract

Recent years have seen an increasing interest in the study of the aging male, with a particular interest in the problem of whether so-called rejuvenating hormones and, more specifically, androgens can improve quality of life, counteract progressive skeletal muscle loss and strength, prevent falls and fractures, prolong independent living, and reduce the dependence on medical care.Almost a decade has elapsed since the first studies on androgen supplementation in elderly men were published (1, 2) and, in the view of the persisting controversies concerning this problem as well as the increasing public interest for rejuvenating hormones, it may be indicated to evaluate critically the clinical relevance of the relative androgen deficiency in elderly males, the diagnostic criteria of androgen deficiency, as well as the risks and benefits of androgen supplementation in elderly men.