Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Testosterone Deficiency.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review without systematic methodology or meta-analysis
PubMed 29774669 · doi:10.5534/wjmh.180017
What was done
Narrative review examining the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), testosterone deficiency, and the clinical effects of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical data. It notes that OSA in middle-aged men is associated with reduced testosterone secretion, alongside aging and obesity. Treating OSA alone does not reliably raise testosterone levels in most studies. Adding TRT to OSA therapy may improve hypogonadism and erectile or sexual dysfunction, but TRT can exacerbate OSA in certain patients.
Why it matters
Highlights the necessity of screening for OSA before and during TRT, cautioning against using TRT in patients with severe untreated sleep apnea.
Limits
Narrative review design without systematic search criteria or quantitative synthesis; the abstract provides no specific study details, sample sizes, or numerical effect estimates.
Cited by
- supports Testosterone therapy can exacerbate obstructive sleep apnea.