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Testosterone Gel Could Help Depressed Men With Low Testosterone Levels

Preliminary findings by researchers in the United States suggest testosterone gel could produce antidepressant effects in depressed men with low testosterone levels.

Investigators from McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Belmont, Massachusetts, suggest that such men represent a large and under-recognised population of depressed patients.

Testosterone supplementation has until recently required cumbersome parenteral administration but, in this eight-week randomised, placebo-controlled trial, it was administered through a transdermal gel.

Participants included men aged 30 to 65 years who had refractory depression and low or borderline testosterone levels. Fifty six men were screened; 24 (42.9%) had total morning serum testosterone levels of 350 ng/dL or less. Of the 24, 23 entered the study. One patient responded to an initial one-week, single-blind placebo period, leaving 22 patients to be randomly assigned.

Twelve patients received 10 g/d of 1% testosterone gel; 10 men received identical-appearing placebo. Of these patients, 19 completed the trial: 10 who received testosterone and 9 who received placebo.

Men receiving testosterone gel had significantly greater improvement in Hamilton Depression (HAM-D) Rating Scale scores. Changes were seen on both the vegetative and affective HAM-D subscales, the researchers note.

They point out a significant difference was also found on the Clinical Global Impression severity scale but not on the Beck Depression Inventory.
American Journal of Psychiatry, 2003;160:105-111. "Testosterone gel supplementation for men with refractory depression: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial."

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