Studies Show the Effectiveness of Testosterone Supplementation

Clinical studies show that testosterone supplementation should be considered as part of any woman's regimen of natural hormone therapy. Individually compounded, low-dose testosterone therapies are available from Women's Health America. Our on-site pharmacy, Madison Pharmacy Associates, offers individually compounded, low-dose, natural hormone dosage options for testosterone supplementation including the sublingual tablet, topical gel, and oral capsule.

Transdermal Testosterone Patch Shown Effective for Hysterectomy Patients

Loss of sexual desire remains a common, untreated symptom in post-menopausal women, though several decades of studies universally show the effectiveness of androgen (testosterone) therapy on a number of parameters of sexuality. These include libido, frequency, satisfaction, pleasure, fantasy, and orgasm. These studies include two clinical trials that support the effectiveness of a testosterone patch for improving libido.

Results of a study in Australia and Europe were announced at the 59th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.1 Among 77 surgically menopausal women already on estrogen hormone replacement patches, sexual desire scores were 38% higher and there was a 42% increase in the frequency of total satisfying sexual activity at 24 weeks in women receiving a testosterone patch over placebo. The patch also significantly improved orgasm, sexual arousal, sexual responsiveness, and sexual self-image and reduced feelings of distress.

In another study conducted at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 447 surgically menopausal women receiving oral estrogen who reported low sexual desire were randomized to receive a placebo patch or one of three doses of transdermal testosterone.2 Results showed the testosterone patch at all doses significantly increased sexual desire. One dosage group experienced a 30% increase in frequency of total satisfying sexual activity vs. placebo (p<0.05) and an 81% increase vs. baseline (p<0.05). This group also experienced a 66% increase in sexual desire vs. baseline (p<0.05) and a significant increase vs. placebo (p<0.05). These results were announced at the 14th Annual Meeting of The North American Menopause Society.

Sublingual Testosterone Also Effective

In a double-masked, randomly assigned, placebo-controlled crossover design, Tuiten et al. examined whether administration of a single dose of testosterone to sexually functional women increases vaginal and subjective sexual arousal when they are exposed to erotic visual stimuli3.

The study found there is a time lag in the effect of sublingually administered testosterone on genital responsiveness in women. The increase in genital responsiveness was found to be three, to four and one-half hours, after reaching peak testosterone levels. In addition, a consecutive increase in vaginal arousal might cause higher genital sensations and sexual lust.

In another double-blind, prospective study of post-menopausal women conducted at New Britain Hospital in Connecticut and reported by The North American Menopause Society, subjects were divided into two groups to test the effectiveness of sublingual hormone therapy (HT) with and without testosterone. Results showed all sublingual micronized HT favorably decreased serum and urine markers of bone metabolism, prevented bone loss, and resulted in an increase in spine and hipbone mineral density.4 In the HT + T group receiving micronized testosterone (1.25 mg) in addition to estradiol (0.5 mg) plus micronized progesterone (100 mg) twice daily, the addition of testosterone for one year resulted in a statistically significant increase in hipbone mineral density.

Additional Benefits

Other studies show that androgen therapy may have a variety of other benefits for women including relieving depression,5 improving body composition,6 and relieving vasomotor symptoms.7

Current clinical evidence indicates that reported risks of virilization and hirsutism associated with androgen therapy were based on high dosing and are readily reversible with a reduction in dose. Timmons et al. reported there was no increase in incidence of hirsutism in their two-year study of those taking estrogen therapy or androgen and estrogen therapy.8

References:

1. Efficacy and safety of testosterone patches for the treatment of low sexual desire in surgically menopausal women. Abstract O-199.
2. Roy S et al. Surgically menopausal women reported significant increase in frequency of total satisfying sexual activity. Proceedings of the N Am Menopause Soc 2003, Miami Beach.
3. Tuiten A, Van Honk J, Koppeschaar H, Bernaards C, Thijssen J, Verbaten R. Time course of effects of testosterone administration on sexual arousal in women. JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association, 2000; 19:2504.
4. Miller BE, De Souza MJ, Slade K, Luciano AA. Sublingual administration of micronized estradiol and progesterone, with and without micronized testosterone: effect on biochemical markers of bone metabolism and bone mineral density. Menopause: The Journal of the North American Menopause Society 2000; 5:318-326.
5. Rohr UD. The impact of testosterone imbalance on depression and women's health. Maturitas 2002; 41:S25-46.
6. Davis SR, McCloud PI, Strauss BJG, Burger HG. Testosterone enhances estradiol's effects on post-menopausal bone density and sexuality. Maturitas 1995; 21:227-36.
7. Simon JA, Klaiber E, Wiita B, Ynag HW, Artis A. Double-blind comparison of two doses of estrogen and estrogen-androgen therapy in naturally postmenopausal women: neuroendocrine, psychological and psychosomatic effects. Fertil Steril 1996; 66:S71.
8. Timmons MC, Young R, Barrett-Connor E et al. Interim safety analysis of a two-year study comparing oral estrogen-androgen and conjugated estrogens in surgically menopausal women. Proceedings of the N Am Menopause Soc 1995; San Francisco