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Taken from WWW.pubmed.gov (testosterone studies)
J Am Geriatr Soc. 2002 Jun;50(6):1131-40.
Androgen supplementation in older women: too much hype, not enough data.
Padero MC,
Bhasin S,
Friedman TC.
Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Molecular Medicine, Charles Drew University of
Medicine and Science, 1731 East 120th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA.
Androgen supplementation in women has received enormous attention in the scientific and lay communities.
That it enhances some aspects of cognitive function, sexual function, muscle mass, strength, and sense of
well-being is not in question. What is not known is whether physiological testosterone replacement can
improve health-related outcome in older women without its virilizing side effects. Although it is assumed
that the testosterone dose-response relationship is different in women than in men and that clinically
relevant outcomes on the above-mentioned effects can be achieved at lower testosterone doses, these
assumptions have not been tested rigorously. Androgen deficiency has no clear-cut definition. Clinical
features may include impaired sexual function, low energy, depression, and a total testosterone level
of less than 15 ng/dL, the lower end of the normal range. Measurement of free testosterone is ideal,
because it provides a better estimate of the biologically relevant fraction. It is not widely used in
clinical practice, because some methods of measuring free testosterone assay are hampered by
methodological difficulties. In marked contrast to the abrupt decline in estrogen and progesterone
production at menopause, serum testosterone is lower in older women than in menstruating women, with
the decline becoming apparent a decade before menopause. This article reviews testosterone's effects
on sexual function, cognitive function, muscle mass, body composition, and immune function in
postmenopausal women.
PMID: 12110078 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Dr. Gordon:
Note that symptoms of testosterone deficiency in women commonly begin a decade before their menopause.
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