Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26588809›Full record

Trial reportAndrology2016

Effects of aromatase inhibition vs. testosterone in older men with low testosterone: randomized-controlled trial.

J P Dias, D Melvin, E M Simonsick, O Carlson, M D Shardell, L Ferrucci, C W Chia, S Basaria, J M Egan

Open access · bronzeAbstract readComparative StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Andrology, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 28 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
28citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
2.9field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

28 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 60 citations in OpenAlex.

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  18. The role of the androgen receptor in the pathogenesis of obesity and its utility as a target for obesity treatments.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2022
    Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

J P DiasLaboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, USA.
D MelvinLaboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, USA.
E M SimonsickTranslational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, USA.
O CarlsonLaboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, USA.
M D ShardellTranslational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, USA.
L FerrucciTranslational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, USA.
C W ChiaTranslational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, USA.
S BasariaSection on Men's Health, Aging and Metabolism, Brigham and Women's Hospital Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
J M EganLaboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, USA.
National Institute on Aging · USHarvard University · US

Funding

Intramural NIH HHS Z99 AG999999
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Aging in men is associated with loss of bone mass, impaired physical function and altered body composition. The objective of this proof-of-concept randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, single-center trial was to determine the relative effects of testosterone (T) and estradiol (E(2)) on bone mineral density, body composition, and physical performance in older men. The primary outcome was lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD), and secondary outcomes were body composition, muscle strength, gait speed, and sex hormone concentrations. Forty three men (age range, 65-82 years; mean age 71 years) with low total T levels <350 ng/dL were randomized to one of three groups: 5 g transdermal testosterone gel (TT) (N = 16), anastrozole (AI) 1 mg (N = 14) or placebo daily (N = 13) for 12 months. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months. Both TT and AI increased serum TT levels (>500 ng/dL, p < 0.05) compared to baseline; T values remained stable throughout the duration of the trial. At 12 months, TT improved the primary outcome of lumbar spine BMD (p < 0.01).Both interventions improved knee strength at 12 months compared to baseline (p < 0.05) while lean body mass significantly increased only in the AI group at 6 and 12 months (1.49 ± 0.38 kg, p < 0.01; 1.24 ± 0.39 kg, p < 0.05, respectively) compared to baseline. Interestingly, TT improved fast gait speed at 3 and 12 months (p < 0.01, p < 0.05, respectively). In summary, this proof-of-concept study confirms that aromatization of T is required for maintaining BMD in older men with low-T levels. The trial also uncovered the novel finding that aromatization of T is required for improvement in fast gait speed, an observation that needs to be verified in future studies.

Indexed as

AgedAged, 80 and overAgingAnastrozoleAromataseAromatase InhibitorsBody CompositionBone and BonesBone DensityDouble-Blind MethodEstradiolHumansMaleNitrilesPlacebosTestosteroneAnastrozoleAromataseAromatase InhibitorsEstradiolNitrilesPlacebosTestosteroneTriazolesagingaromatase inhibitionbonegait speedmuscle strengthtestosterone

Identifiers

PMID26588809
PMCPMC5836312
OpenAlexW2179692520

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.