Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33063668›Full record

ArticleeLife2020

Effects of lifelong testosterone exposure on health and disease using Mendelian randomization.

Pedrum Mohammadi-Shemirani, Michael Chong, Marie Pigeyre, Robert W Morton, Hertzel C Gerstein, Guillaume Paré

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in eLife, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
24citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
4.7field-weighted citation impact, top 4% 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

24 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 66 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Observational
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Among men, androgens are associated with a decrease in Alzheimer's disease risk.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2023
    Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Review
  13. Article
  14. Review
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Testosterone, cognitive decline and dementia in ageing men.Reviews in endocrine & metabolic disorders · 2022
    Review
  18. Review
  19. Article
  20. Causal Inference with Genetic Data: Past, Present, and Future.Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in medicine · 2022
    Review
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

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Pedrum Mohammadi-ShemiraniPopulation Health Research Institute, David Braley Cardiac, Vascular and Stroke Research Institute, Hamilton, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-6740-7858
Michael ChongPopulation Health Research Institute, David Braley Cardiac, Vascular and Stroke Research Institute, Hamilton, Canada.
Marie PigeyrePopulation Health Research Institute, David Braley Cardiac, Vascular and Stroke Research Institute, Hamilton, Canada.
Robert W MortonDepartment of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-0099-4167
Hertzel C GersteinPopulation Health Research Institute, David Braley Cardiac, Vascular and Stroke Research Institute, Hamilton, Canada.
Guillaume ParéPopulation Health Research Institute, David Braley Cardiac, Vascular and Stroke Research Institute, Hamilton, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-6795-4760
Population Health Research Institute · CAMcMaster University · CA

Funding

CIHRMedical Research Council MC_PC_17228Medical Research Council MC_QA137853
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Testosterone products are prescribed to males for a variety of possible health benefits, but causal effects are unclear. Evidence from randomized trials are difficult to obtain, particularly regarding effects on long-term or rare outcomes. Mendelian randomization analyses were performed to infer phenome-wide effects of free testosterone on 461 outcomes in 161,268 males from the UK Biobank study. Lifelong increased free testosterone had beneficial effects on increased bone mineral density, and decreased body fat; adverse effects on decreased HDL, and increased risks of prostate cancer, androgenic alopecia, spinal stenosis, and hypertension; and context-dependent effects on increased hematocrit and decreased C-reactive protein. No benefit was observed for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular or cognitive outcomes. Mendelian randomization suggests benefits of long-term increased testosterone should be considered against adverse effects, notably increased prostate cancer and hypertension. Well-powered randomized trials are needed to conclusively address risks and benefits of testosterone treatment on these outcomes.

Indexed as

PhenotypeAdultAgedGenetic Predisposition to DiseaseHumansMaleMiddle AgedRisk FactorsTestosteroneUnited KingdomTestosteronegeneticsgenome-wide association studygenomicshumanhypertensionmedicineMendelian randomizationprostate cancertestosteroneUK Biobank

Identifiers

PMID33063668
PMCPMC7591257
OpenAlexW3093402173

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.