Breaking News - Testosterone Treatment and Fractures in Older Men.

Testosterone is required for a healthy skeletal system in men. Sufficient testosterone exposure is necessary to achieve peak bone mass and strength during early adulthood and, later, to prevent accelerated bone resorption during aging. Testosterone mediates these positive effects directly or through its metabolites, estradiol and dihydrotestosterone.(1) Testosterone induces increased bone mineral density, leading to improved bone strength and microarchitecture, which are accepted surrogates for fracture prevention.(2,3) It seems plausible that testosterone therapy might reduce fractures in older men with hypogonadism, but long-term, placebo-controlled studies of the effects of testosterone on fracture outcomes have been lacking. The principal findings of . . .