The effect of transdermal testosterone administration on lower urinary tract symptoms and erectile dysfunction in patients with low testosterone

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of transdermal testosterone administration on erectile dysfunction (ED) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in patients with LUTS and ED. We aimed to represent a better understanding on the relationship between transdermal testosterone therapy and LUTS in accordance with objective clinical findings. Materials and Methods: Sixty two male patients with a serum testosterone level below 350 ng/dl who administered to the urology outpatient clinics with the complaints of LUTS and ED are enrolled in this study. Thirty-one patients were randomly assigned to receive transdermal testosterone at a daily dose of 50 mg and thirty-one patients were randomly assigned to receive a placebo for three months. Patients were assessed by trained doctors using structured questionnaires which included the International Index of Erectile Function (IEFF-5), the International Prostate Symptom Scale (IPSS) and the Ageing Male Symptom Questionnaire (AMS-Q) to evaluate the severity of symptoms at days 0,30 and 90. All patients underwent physical examination, urine analysis and uroflowmetry monthly. Results: Patient groups were similar in means of demographic characteristics. There was a statistically significant negative correlation between the age and serum testosterone levels and pre-treatment IEFF scores. There was a significant positive correlation between the age and pre-treatment AMS-Q scores. The patients receiving testosterone had greater increases in maximum uroflow rate (Qmax) values and IEFF-5 scores than those receiving placebo. The improvement in the AMS-Q scores were significantly greater in the testosterone treatment group compared to the placebo group. Though not statistically significant IPSS scores tended to decrease. Conclusion: Testosterone treatment is effective in improving the LUTS and ED symptoms in aging male.