Testosterone helps lung disease
Recent research suggests that testosterone improves muscle strength in men with COPD and low testosterone levels.
Men with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) - which includes a number of lung problems that make breathing difficult may benefit from an extra dose of testosterone.
Patients with COPD have exercise intolerance associated with muscle dysfunction. Men with COPD also have high prevalence of low testosterone levels, which may contribute to muscle weakness. COPD patients are often easily fatigued and can't tolerate much physical exertion. Testosterone supplementation appears to increase lean muscle mass and strength in men with moderate to severe COPD and low testosterone levels.
Researchers from the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute, USA, investigated the effects of testosterone supplementation in 47 men with COPD and low testosterone levels. The participants were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups: testosterone supplementation and strength training; placebo and strength training; testosterone and no strength training; or placebo and no strength training. After 10 weeks, both testosterone groups showed a significant increase in lean body mass. This amounted to an average increase of 2.3 kilograms (about 5 pounds) in those given testosterone alone and 3.3 kg (a little more than 7 pounds) in those who received training and testosterone. Moreover, the researchers found that the maximum leg press strength increased 17 percent with either testosterone alone or training alone, but by 27 percent with both. No adverse effects were seen.
Despite the encouraging results, further research in a larger number of patients is needed to determine long-term benefits of adding testosterone supplementation and resistance training to rehabilitation programmes for carefully screened men with COPD and low testosterone levels.
American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine ,
October 2004
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