Impact of exogenous testosterone on mood: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
What was done
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 16 controlled clinical trials evaluated the impact of exogenous testosterone on mood using standard depression rating scales in 944 subjects.
What was found
Testosterone demonstrated a significant overall positive impact on mood (z = 4.592; P < .0001). Subgroup analyses showed: - A significant effect size in trials with a mean age <60 years (effect size = 5.279; P < .0001), but no significant effect in trials with a mean age >60 years. - A significant effect size in hypogonadal men (4.192; P < .0001), but no significant effect in eugonadal men. - A larger effect size in subthreshold depression than in major depression. - Oral testosterone did not show a significant result compared with oral dehydroepiandrosterone, testosterone gel, or intramuscular testosterone.
Why it matters
This review clarifies that mood benefits from exogenous testosterone are largely restricted to younger or middle-aged hypogonadal men and those with milder or subthreshold depression.
Limits
The abstract does not define the specific effect size metric used or provide confidence intervals, and one sentence is truncated. It also lacks details regarding trial duration, dosing, long-term safety, and risk of bias across the included studies.
Cited by
- supports Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) can be effective in treating depression in men.