Testosterone Reduces Visceral Fat and Loss of Muscle in Older Men

Treatment with testosterone can reduce the gain in visceral adipose tissue and loss of skeletal muscle seen in non-obese aging men, according to a new report.

"Though use of testosterone therapy as a means of defying the aging process is gaining popularity, data from scientific trials have been very limited in this area," lead author Dr. Carolyn Allan, from Prince Henry’s Institute in Victoria, Australia, said in a statement. "Our findings indicate that maintaining testosterone at ‘young adult’ levels may indeed prevent the adverse changes in body composition associated with the aging process."

In the study, 60 healthy men who were at least 55 years of age with symptoms of androgen deficiency and low-normal serum testosterone levels were randomized to receive transdermal testosterone patches or placebo for 12 months. Body composition assessment with DEXA and MRI and hormone and metabolic testing were performed at weeks 0 and 52.
The testosterone group experienced a 30% increase in serum testosterone levels. The control group, by contrast, saw their levels fall by 10%. Testosterone therapy was also associated with 50% reduction in luteinizing hormone levels.

In the testosterone group, total body fat free mass and skeletal muscle rose and loss of thigh skeletal muscle was decreased.
A drop in visceral fat accumulation with no change in total body or abdominal subcutaneous fat mass was also noted in the testosterone group. Further analysis showed that the change in visceral fat correlated with the change in serum testosterone levels, the report indicates.

Total and LDL cholesterol increased in the control group, but the change did not reach statistical significance.
"Our findings suggest a role for testosterone in modifying the age-related increase in visceral adipose tissue (and possibly associated adverse metabolic changes) and provide a basis for further studies examining surrogate markers of cardiovascular risk and insulin sensitivity in men at risk for metabolic and cardiovascular disorders, specifically those with abdominal obesity," Dr. Allan’s team concludes.

J Clin Endocrinol Metab Jan., 2008

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