PRELIMINARY COMMUNICATION Effect of Testosterone Replacement Therapy on Prostate Tissue in Men With Late-Onset Hypogonadism A Randomized Controlled Trial

TESTOSTERONE REPLACEMENTtherapy (TRT) in aging men isa widespread, growing prac-tice. According to pharmaceu-tical industry estimates, more than 1.8 million prescriptions for testosterone products were written in the United States in 2002, a 30 % increase over the previous year and a 170 % increase over the previous 5 years1; in 2005, a total of 2.3 million prescriptions were written.2 Serum levels of testosterone decline with age,3 and inmany agingmenwith low levels of the hormone, alterations such as depression, sexual dysfunc-tion, diminished lean bodymass, dimi-nution inmuscle volume and strength, and reduced bonemineral densitymay develop. Such changes, in association with low testosterone levels, have been called “malemenopause, ” which is also known as male climacteric,4 andro-pause,5 androgen deficiency of the ag-ing male syndrome,6 or late-onset hy-pogonadism.7 Aspects of the syndrome may be ameliorated with TRT,8-10 and most testosterone prescriptions are cur-Author Affiliations are listed at the end of this article