Musculoskeletal and body composition response to high-dose testosterone with finasteride after chronic incomplete spinal cord injury-a randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled pilot study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

High-dose testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), paired with finasteride (type II 5α-reductase inhibitor), improves body composition, muscle strength, and bone mineral density (BMD) in older men, without inducing prostate enlargement-a side effect associated with TRT. Men with spinal cord injury (SCI) exhibit neuromuscular impairment, muscle atrophy, bone loss, and increased central adiposity, along with low testosterone. However, sparse evidence supports TRT efficacy after SCI.

Methods

This parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled, and randomized clinical trial (RCT) is a pilot study that enrolled men (N = 12) with low to low-normal testosterone and gait impairments after chronic motor-incomplete SCI. Participants received high-dose intramuscular

SUBMITTER: Otzel DM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11668665 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature