BENEFICIAL-EFFECTS OF TESTOSTERONE UNDECANOATE ON THE LIPOPROTEIN PROFILES IN HEALTHY ELDERLY MEN - A PLACEBO-CONTROLLED STUDY

Background and Methods. In order to assess the effects of testosterone undecanoate (TU; 120 mg/d orally for 2 months) on serum lipid, lipopr otein, and apolipoprotein levels in healthy elderly men, the placebo ( PL) controlled study was performed on 37 elderly men, aged between 53 and 89 years. In all subjects venous blood samples were taken after an overnight (10 hours) fast and sera were stored - 70 degrees C until a nalysis. Results. In PL group, neither hormonal data nor lipid, lipopr otein, and apolipoprotein levels showed significant changes. After TU supplementation, serum total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and estradiol (E2) levels decreased from 198 +/- 30.7 mg/dl to 174 +/- 41.9 mg/dl (p < 0.05), from 111 +/- 18.14 mg/dl to 87.9 +/- 29.4 mg/dl (p<0.01), and from 86.2 +/- 16.9 pmol/l to 70. 5 +/- 18 pmol/l (p<0.01), respectively. Statistically significant diff erences were not observed in the serum triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and apolipoprotein (apo)A-l and apo B levels after TU treatment. The mean ratios TC/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C C as coronary risk factor criteria decreased significantly in the TU b ut not in the pi, group. No obvious side effect was observed in those who took TU except for reported pyrosis in 2 of 17 elderly men. Conclu sions. These data indicate that the increased serum levels of total te stosterone (TT) produced by administration of TU, 120 mg/d orally for 2 months lead to supressed levels of TC and LDL-C and E2 but not signi ficantly changed levels of TG, HDL-C, apo A-1 and apo B. Thus, we conc lude that TU may be an effective drug for protecting coronary heart di sease in healthy elderly men with lowered TT and FT levels. It may als o have beneficial effects for sexual function and behavior.