Testosterone Deficiency The Hidden Disease
by E. Barry Gordon, M.D.
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Taken from WWW.pubmed.gov (testosterone studies)
J Alzheimers Dis. 2007 Sep;12(2):129-42.
Androgens in the etiology of Alzheimer's disease in aging men and possible therapeutic interventions.
Fuller SJ, Tan RS, Martins RN.
Animal experiments and cell biology studies have provided evidence that both estrogens and androgens
can play a protective role against Alzheimer's disease (AD) related neurodegeneration. Males who become
hypogonadal in later life often report problems with their memory. Lower than normal testosterone levels
have also been detected in patients prior to the onset of AD, as well as in younger late-onset male AD
patients, when compared to appropriate controls. The results of some small clinical trials suggest that
testosterone can improve cognitive function in andropause. Although such improvement in cognitive
function is subtle, patients on testosterone replacement therapy have reported memory improvements in
both declarative and procedural domains. In contrast, there is no clinical evidence to date which suggest
that the hormone dihydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) can improve cognitive function. Rises in the levels of the
gonadotropins, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), have been associated with
AD, but the clinical effects of reducing their levels remain to be determined. We hypothesize that
androgens, gonadotropin modulators, or perhaps selective androgen receptor modulators may be useful
components of therapy aimed at preventing the onset or delaying the progression of AD
(Alzheimer’s disease) in male patients.
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