Hormonal profile of menopausal women receiving androgen replacement therapy: a meta-analysis.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and case-control studies
PubMed 32016915 · doi:10.1007/s40618-020-01192-x
What was done
A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies indexed in MEDLINE and Embase through May 30, 2018, evaluating hormonal profile alterations in menopausal women receiving androgen replacement therapy. Inclusion required randomized clinical trials or case-control studies that reported serum steroid levels and included a control group. Studies involving women with severe chronic systemic illnesses or genetic defects were excluded. From 113 eligible papers, 56 were included in the meta-analysis.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical values, effect sizes, confidence intervals, or p-values. Directionally, androgen therapy increased circulating levels of estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), testosterone, DHEA, and DHEAS, while lowering sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). The rise in E1 and E2 occurred exclusively with DHEA regimens.
Why it matters
This review highlights that while all androgen therapies raise circulating testosterone, DHEA uniquely elevates estrogen levels, a differential effect critical for evaluating risks and benefits in clinical practice.
Limits
The abstract provides zero quantitative data, confidence intervals, or measures of study heterogeneity. The synthesis pooled randomized trials with non-randomized case-control studies. Clinical symptom relief, long-term safety, and clinical endpoints were not measured.
Cited by
- partial Excessive doses of testosterone in women can lead to increased aromatase activity, converting excess testosterone into estrogen.