Dr. Morganthaler gives his opinion on the recent studies published in JAMA in this editorial.
While the improvements observed in bone density and anemia were not surprising in light of prior research, these results in carefully performed controlled studies sponsored by the National Institutes of Health provide a clear rationale for the clinical application of TTh for general medical indications, and not just for sexual symptoms. In addition, the weight of evidence presented in these studies is not only reassuring with regard to CV risk, but actually supports the idea that TTh may be cardioprotective. These findings support the call to investigate the possible CV benefits of TTh made by the International Expert Consensus Conference on Testosterone Deficiency and its Treatment in 2016. Urologists already play a central role in the evaluation and management of men with T deficiency. These new, exciting results provide even more evidence to support the importance of normal T values to men's health.