Uses of Testosterone / Androgen / Male Sex Hormones
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Testicular Failure : It may be primary—in children, resulting in delayed puberty. Treatment with parenteral testosterone esters or transdermal testosterone/dihydrotestosterone in courses of 4–6 months at a time is highly satisfactory.
USES
1. Testicular Failure
It
may be primary—in children, resulting in
delayed puberty. Treatment with parenteral testosterone esters or transdermal
testosterone/dihydrotestosterone in courses of 4–6 months at a time is highly
satisfactory. Secondary testicular failure occurring later in life manifests
mainly as loss of libido and impotence. These are corrected by androgen
treatment. However, impotence due to psychological and other factors, and not
testosterone deficiency, does not respond.
2. Hypopituitarism
Hypogonadism is one of the features of hypopituitarism. Androgens are
added at the time of puberty to other hormonal replacement.
3. AIDS Related Muscle Wasting
Testosterone therapy has been shown
to improve weakness and muscle wasting in AIDS patients with low testosterone
levels.
4. Hereditary Angioneurotic Edema
This is a genetic disorder;
attacks can be prevented by 17αalkylated androgens (methyltestosterone,
stanozolol, danazol) but not by testosterone. They act by increasing synthesis
of complement (C1) esterase inhibitor.
5. Ageing
Because testosterone levels decline in old age, it has
been administered to elderly males and found to improve bone mineralization and
muscle mass. However, safety of such therapy in terms of metabolic, cardiovascular
and prostatic
complications is not known.
The
use of androgens in cancer breast is rare as is their addition to postmenopausal
hormone replacement.
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