Research

Hormonal

Testosterone supplementation in elderly men increases muscle mass and strength but carries significant side effects, including sleep apnea, thrombotic complications, and prostate cancer risk.

Testosterone therapy can increase muscle mass and strength in elderly men, but it is not a first-line treatment due to serious side effects like prostate cancer risk and blood clots. It should only be considered under strict medical supervision when benefits outweigh risks.

GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
Testosterone supplementation in large amounts and at low frequency improves muscle defects with aging but has several side effects. Risks associated with testosterone therapy in older men include sleep apnea, thrombotic complications, and the increased risk of prostate cancer [69].
Kunihiro Sakuma et al. · International Journal of Endocrinology · 2012

Why this rating

Supported by multiple human studies and systematic reviews cited in the paper.

Source

Sarcopenia and Age-Related Endocrine Function

Kunihiro Sakuma et al. · International Journal of Endocrinology · 2012

DOI 10.1155/2012/127362

narrative_reviewCited 177×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →