Low bone mass in hypogonadal males. Effect of testosterone substitution therapy, a densitometric study

• Published in: Maturitas Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 17 - 23
• Main Authors: Devogelaer, J.P., De Cooman, S., de Deuxchaisnes, C.Nagant
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.08.1992; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; androgen therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Bone Density; bone mass; Delayed-Action Preparations; Drug Combinations; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Hypogonadism - blood; Hypogonadism - complications; Hypogonadism - drug therapy; Male; Male genital diseases; male hypogonadism; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Non tumoral diseases; osteodensitometry; Osteoporosis - diagnosis; Osteoporosis - etiology; Osteoporosis - pathology; Testosterone - analogs & derivatives; Testosterone - blood; Testosterone - therapeutic use; bone mass; osteodensitometry; androgen therapy; male hypogonadism; Human; Osteoporosis; Chemotherapy; Androgen; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Male; Sex steroid hormone; Male genital diseases; Hypogonadism
• DOI: 10.1016/0378-5122(92)90057-B
• ISSN: 0378-5122

Sixteen (16) male patients who were suffering from hypogonadism but who were free from bone symptoms were recruited from the Andrology Clinic. Their bone mineral density (BMD) was assessed by single photon absorptiometry in the non-dominant radius, at both the distal radius (DR) (27% trabecular bone) and the midshaft radius (MR) (90% cortical bone). Measurements were carried out before and during testosterone substitution therapy. BMD was found to be lower in the subjects than in the controls, to a similar extent at both the DR (0.47 ± 0.02 g/cm 2, i.e. 83.1 ± 4.3% of the value in the controls, or Z score −1.42 ± 0.39; P < 0.01) and the MR (0.68 ± 0.02 g/cm 2, i.e. 87.8 ± 2.4% of the value in the controls, or Z score −1.49 ± 0.33; P < 0.01). There was no correlation between testosterone levels and BMD at either the DR or the MR at the beginning of the study. Following testosterone substitution therapy, bone mineral content (BMC) increased significantly at the DR (+5.9 ± 1.4% per year; P < 0.01) and at the MR (+1.1 ± 0.9% per year; P < 0.01). If the study is limited to the subjects who had achieved full bone age maturity before the start of therapy, the bone gain remains significant only at the DR, a site with a sizeable proportion of trabecular bone.