Galveston, TX—Can testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) reduce the risk of respiratory hospitalizations in middle-aged and older men with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)?
That was the issue investigated by researchers from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. In a report in the journal Chronic Respiratory Disease, study authors detailed how they determined that testosterone replacement appears to slow disease progression in COPD.
Background information in the study notes that low testosterone is common in men with COPD, which causes shortness of breath and often requires steroid-based medications for an extended time, both of which increase the risk of low testosterone.
“Previous studies have suggested that testosterone replacement therapy may have a positive effect on lung function in men with COPD,” said Jacques Baillargeon, PhD, UTMB professor in preventive medicine and community health. “However, we are the first to conduct a large scale nationally representative study on this association.”
The study team used the Clinformatics Data Mart to examine data for 450 male COPD patients, aged 40 to 63 years, who began TRT between 2005 and 2014. The national Medicare database then was used to gather information on another 253 men with COPD, aged 66 years and older, who initiated TRT between 2008 and 2013.
Results indicate that middle-aged TRT users had a 4.2% greater decrease in respiratory hospitalizations compared with nonusers—a -2.4 decrease versus a 1.8 increase—and older TRT users had a 9.1% greater decrease in respiratory hospitalizations compared with nonusers—a -0.8 decrease versus. 8.3 increase.
“We found that testosterone users had a greater decrease in respiratory hospitalizations compared with non-users,” Baillargeon explained. “Specifically, middle-aged testosterone replacement therapy users had a 4.2 percent greater decrease in respiratory hospitalizations compared with non-users and older testosterone replacement therapy users had a 9.1 percent greater decrease in respiratory hospitalizations compared with non-users. The findings suggest that testosterone replacement therapy may slow the progression of disease in men with COPD.”
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That was the issue investigated by researchers from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. In a report in the journal Chronic Respiratory Disease, study authors detailed how they determined that testosterone replacement appears to slow disease progression in COPD.
Background information in the study notes that low testosterone is common in men with COPD, which causes shortness of breath and often requires steroid-based medications for an extended time, both of which increase the risk of low testosterone.
“Previous studies have suggested that testosterone replacement therapy may have a positive effect on lung function in men with COPD,” said Jacques Baillargeon, PhD, UTMB professor in preventive medicine and community health. “However, we are the first to conduct a large scale nationally representative study on this association.”
The study team used the Clinformatics Data Mart to examine data for 450 male COPD patients, aged 40 to 63 years, who began TRT between 2005 and 2014. The national Medicare database then was used to gather information on another 253 men with COPD, aged 66 years and older, who initiated TRT between 2008 and 2013.
Results indicate that middle-aged TRT users had a 4.2% greater decrease in respiratory hospitalizations compared with nonusers—a -2.4 decrease versus a 1.8 increase—and older TRT users had a 9.1% greater decrease in respiratory hospitalizations compared with nonusers—a -0.8 decrease versus. 8.3 increase.
“We found that testosterone users had a greater decrease in respiratory hospitalizations compared with non-users,” Baillargeon explained. “Specifically, middle-aged testosterone replacement therapy users had a 4.2 percent greater decrease in respiratory hospitalizations compared with non-users and older testosterone replacement therapy users had a 9.1 percent greater decrease in respiratory hospitalizations compared with non-users. The findings suggest that testosterone replacement therapy may slow the progression of disease in men with COPD.”
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