Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27655114›Full record

ArticlePloS one

Treatment of Men for "Low Testosterone": A Systematic Review.

Samantha Huo, Anthony R Scialli, Sean McGarvey, Elizabeth Hill, Buğra Tügertimur, Alycia Hogenmiller, Alessandra I Hirsch, Adriane Fugh-Berman

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 34 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
34citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

34 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Trial
  7. Article
  8. Review
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  13. Management of Dyslipidemia in Endocrine Diseases.Endocrinology and metabolism clinics of North America · 2022
    Review
  14. 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
  15. Article
  16. Article
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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

8 authors.

Samantha HuoTulane University, School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States of America.
Anthony R ScialliDepartment of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States of America.
Sean McGarveyDepartment of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States of America.
Elizabeth HillDepartment of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States of America.
Buğra TügertimurUniversity of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States of America.
Alycia HogenmillerDepartment of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States of America.
Alessandra I HirschUniversity of Illinois, Chicago, IL, United States of America.
Adriane Fugh-BermanDepartment of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States of America.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Testosterone products are recommended by some prescribers in response to a diagnosis or presumption of "low testosterone" (low-T) for cardiovascular health, sexual function, muscle weakness or wasting, mood and behavior, and cognition. We performed a systematic review of 156 eligible randomized controlled trials in which testosterone was compared to placebo for one or more of these conditions. We included studies in bibliographic databases between January 1, 1950 and April 9, 2016, and excluded studies involving bodybuilding, contraceptive effectiveness, or treatment of any condition in women or children. Studies with multiple relevant endpoints were included in all relevant tables. Testosterone supplementation did not show consistent benefit for cardiovascular risk, sexual function, mood and behavior, or cognition. Studies that examined clinical cardiovascular endpoints have not favored testosterone therapy over placebo. Testosterone is ineffective in treating erectile dysfunction and controlled trials did not show a consistent effect on libido. Testosterone supplementation consistently increased muscle strength but did not have beneficial effects on physical function. Most studies on mood-related endpoints found no beneficial effect of testosterone treatment on personality, psychological well-being, or mood. The prescription of testosterone supplementation for low-T for cardiovascular health, sexual function, physical function, mood, or cognitive function is without support from randomized clinical trials.

Identifiers

PMID27655114
PMCPMC5031462

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.