SynthesisThe Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism2026
The effectiveness of hormonal treatment to improve reproductive outcomes in normogonadotropic men with abnormal semen parameters: results of 2 linked systematic reviews.
Synthesis in The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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
1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- The effectiveness of hormonal treatment to improve reproductive outcomes in normogonadotropic men with abnormal semen parameters: results of 2 linked systematic reviews.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2026Pooled it
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
contextGrowing numbers of international guidelines recommend hormonal treatment for normogonadotropic men with abnormal semen parameters, despite uncertain effects on fertility outcomes.
objectiveEvaluate the efficacy of hormonal treatment, compared with placebo or no treatment, in normogonadotropic men with abnormal semen parameters. DATA SOURCES: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials to February 2025. STUDY SELECTION: Two linked reviews were conducted simultaneously. Review 1 included randomized and nonrandomized controlled studies evaluating hormonal treatments in normogonadotropic men with abnormal semen parameters. Review 2 included the same treatments in men undergoing assisted reproduction. All citations were double-screened. DATA EXTRACTION: Primary outcomes were changes in semen quality (in Review 1) and pregnancy (in Review 2). Risk of bias of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane tool and ROBUST-RCT. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed. DATA SYNTHESIS: Nine studies (735 men) were included. Follicle-stimulating hormone showed modest improvements in sperm count (mean difference [MD] 11.0; 95% CI, 7.2-14.8), concentration (MD 5.6; 95% CI, 1.9-9.3), and motility (MD 3.4; 95% CI, 0.7-6.0) but not morphology (MD 4.7; 95% CI, -0.8 to 10.3). Studies of combined human chorionic and menopausal gonadotropins, as well as tamoxifen, showed no benefit. Two small studies reported nonsignificant increases in pregnancy with FSH. No eligible studies evaluated aromatase inhibitors or clomiphene.
conclusionWe cautiously report potential for selective use of FSH in normogonadotropic men. However, the expected benefits are modest and short-term, with uncertain translation to pregnancy or live birth.
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Registered trials
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