Testosterone Patches Work With Some Women

Testosterone patches had a positive effect on bone density, body composition and emotional, cognitive and behavioral function in women, a U.S. study found.

Loss of ovarian and/or adrenal function can cause many women to experience hypopituitarism or under-active pituitary glands, and therefore low levels of testosterone, which is responsible for producing estrogen. This lack of testosterone can be blamed for loss of sex drive, loss of muscle tone and decrease of cognitive sharpness.

In the study, published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 51 women of reproductive age with low testosterone levels from hypopituitarism participated in this 12-month study by wearing a testosterone-administering patch that delivered 300 mcg daily or a placebo.

Study leader Dr. Karen K. Miller of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston analyzed bone density, fat-free mass and fat mass, as well as thigh muscle and abdominal area. Mood, sexual function, quality of life and cognitive function were assessed by questionnaire.

Miller found an encouraging effect with few side effects that may prove to be useful in the clinical setting for women with low testosterone levels resulting from under-active pituitary glands.