The role of androgen therapy

Best Practice & Research. Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism
S Davis, Henry G Burger

Abstract

The concept of a female androgen insufficiency syndrome, although not new, remains somewhat controversial. Androgens are quantitatively the predominant sex steroid in women, circulating in the micromolar and nanomolar concentration range, compared with picomolar levels of oestrogens. The most significant biologically active androgen is testosterone (T), which circulates bound tightly to sex-hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and loosely to albumin. It is generally held that the non-SHBG-bound fraction is the bioavailable moiety. Hence, clinically useful T measurements require data on total concentrations as well as SHBG level. Testosterone insufficiency occurs in a number of circumstances, including hypopituitarism, premature ovarian failure, adrenal failure, exogenous corticosteroid use and oral oestrogen therapy (causing elevation of SHBG and suppression of gonadotrophins). Clinical symptoms of androgen insufficiency include loss of libido, diminished well-being, fatigue and blunted motivation and have been reported to respond well to T replacement, generally without significant side-effects.

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Citations

Jun 24, 2006·Current Opinion in Obstetrics & Gynecology·Apollo Meskhi, Mourad W Seif
Mar 11, 2008·Menopause : the Journal of the North American Menopause Society·Yaakov Bentov, Robert F Casper
May 15, 2007·Hormone Research·Deepti Goswami, Gerard S Conway
Dec 31, 2005·European Journal of Endocrinology·Lenora M Camarate S M LeãoMaria Lucia Fleiuss de Farias
Aug 31, 2007·The Journal of Sexual Medicine·Abdulmaged TraishUNKNOWN Testosterone Therapy in Women Study Group
May 23, 2006·Clinical Endocrinology·A MasonS F Ahmed
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Jun 19, 2012·Endocrine Reviews·Kristian H MortensenClaus H Gravholt
Jun 11, 2005·Science·Michael E Mendelsohn, Richard H Karas

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