SynthesisThe Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism2020
Opioids and Their Endocrine Effects: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Synthesis in The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 58 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
58 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Sarcopenia and related musculoskeletal phenotypes in patients considered for spinal cord stimulation: a scoping review.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Mood and Anxiety Symptoms in Persons Taking Prescription Opioids: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analyses of Longitudinal Studies.Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.) · 2022Pooled it
- Laboratory-induced stress and craving predict opioid use during follow-up among individuals with prescription opioid use disorder.Drug and alcohol dependence · 2021Trial
- Pre-operative injectable testosterone therapy is associated with increased five-year revision risk after total shoulder arthroplasty: a TriNetX database analysis.Journal of shoulder and elbow arthroplasty · 2026Article
- Chronic Opioid Use and Endocrine Disruption in Women: Mechanisms, Life-Course Vulnerabilities, and Reproductive Health Implications.Journal of xenobiotics · 2026Review
- The interplay of circadian rhythms and cancer pain: a narrative review.Journal of anesthesia, analgesia and critical care · 2026Review
- Association between thyroidea function and opioid agonist therapy: a prospective cohort study from Norway.Journal of the Endocrine Society · 2026Article
- Article
- Association between opium consumption and sarcopenia in middle-aged and older adults: findings from the Fasa Adults Cohort Study (FACS).Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Experiences of People Who Discontinue Long-Acting Injectable Buprenorphine Treatment Recently Released From Prison in New South Wales, Australia.Drug and alcohol review · 2026Article
- Osteoporosis After Menopause and After Drug Therapy: The Molecular Mechanism of Bone Loss and Its Treatment.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Circulating microRNA expression underlying the association of opioid use with low bone mineral density.JBMR plus · 2026Article
- From morphine to buprenorphine - Modeling opioid use disorder and its treatment during pregnancy: Effects on maternal care and offspring neurodevelopment in a translational rodent model.Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior · 2025Article
- Methadone Maintenance Treatment, Sex Hormones, and Bone Mineral Density in Persons Who Inject Drugs.Journal of the Endocrine Society · 2025Article
- Sexual Dysfunction and Its Correlates Among Men Dependent on Natural Opium.Indian journal of psychological medicine · 2025Article
- Gender Medicine and Pharmacology.Biomedicines · 2025Article
- Long-term administration of hydrocortisone: down-regulating the level of cytokine and resulting in injuring testicular tissue of juvenile mice.BMC pharmacology & toxicology · 2025Article
- Low Testosterone Among Males in Opioid Agonist Therapy and Its Association With Fatigue and Psychological Distress.Journal of the Endocrine Society · 2025Article
- [Clinical pharmacology of opioid analgesics].Schmerz (Berlin, Germany) · 2025Review
- Associations between klotho levels and mortality risk among middle-aged and older adults taking prescription opioids.Preventive medicine reports · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
contextThe increased use of opioids has resulted in an unprecedented opioid epidemic. Chronic opioid use causes hypogonadism, but its frequency, as well as the effects of opioids on other hypothalamo-pituitary-end organ hormone axes, remains unclear.
objectiveThe aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the effects of opioid use on pituitary function.
methodsEight electronic databases were searched for articles published up to May 8, 2018. Fixed or random effects meta-analysis was performed to estimate pooled proportions with 95% confidence intervals (CI). This study is reported following the PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines. DATA SYNTHESIS: 52 studies (22 low risk of bias) were included describing 18 428 subjects, consisting of patients with chronic pain (n = 21 studies) or on maintenance treatment for opioid addiction (n = 9) and healthy volunteers (n = 4). The most frequently used opioid was methadone (n = 13 studies), followed by morphine (n = 12). Prevalence of hypogonadism was 63% (95% CI: 55%-70%, 15 studies, 3250 patients, 99.5% males). Prevalence of hypocortisolism relying on dynamic and nondynamic testing was 15% (95% CI: 6%-28%, 5 studies, 205 patients, 57.5% males) and including only studies using the insulin tolerance tests 24% (95% CI 16%-33%, 2 studies, n = 97 patients). In 5 out of 7 studies, hyperprolactinemia was present. No clear effects on the somatotropic and hypothalamo-pituitary-thyroid axes were described.
conclusionsHypogonadism occurs in more than half of male opioid users, and hypocortisolism in approximately one-fifth of all patients. Periodical evaluation of at least the gonadal and adrenal axes is therefore advisable.
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Registered trials
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.