Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1998. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1998. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Reuters NewMedia, Inc.; Monday August 17, 1998
Researchers at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University studied a group of 108 men who showed clinical symptoms of low testosterone and suffered from fatigue. The men were treated with intramuscular injections of testosterone twice a week for 12 weeks. Testosterone deficiency is the most commonly observed endocrine abnormality in men with HIV illness.
Four out of every five men who entered the trial with low energy and who completed the 12-week course reported significant improvement in energy level. No serious side effects from the treatment were reported, although the effects of long-term use of testosterone are not known.
The cause of fatigue among HIV patients is complex. Researchers believe that it may be related to both biological and psychological factors, including depression. The team behind this study had hoped to determine whether testosterone therapy influences energy levels directly or indirectly via its antidepressant effects. They were unable to do so because improvement in energy level was almost always accompanied by improvement in mood. They concluded that the effects of testosterone on mood and energy are closely related, yet the antidepressant effect of testosterone does not account entirely for the increase in energy.
"With the advent of more effective antiviral treatments which have the potential to prolong survival more and more people with HIV are considering returning to work," the authors wrote. "Fatigue is often a barrier to such a goal. Hence, the development and assessment of effective treatments for fatigue, such as testosterone, are particularly important for enhancing the quality of life and functioning of people living with HIV."
SOURCE: General Hospital Psychiatry 1998;20.
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