There has been much argument about the part of testosterone levels in AIDS wasting. Testosterone is the man hormone which promotes muscle growth. Following the inspection of low levels of serum testosterone in many men with AIDS wasting, a stipulation known as hypogonadism, some treatment advocates and doctors have argued that correcting the testosterone deficiency may reverse wasting.
However, the relationship between HIV infection, testosterone production and AIDS wasting is still unclear. One recent study found no relationship between wasting and hypogonadism, but a review of patients in the Multi center AIDS Cohort Study (MACS), a large United States cohort followed since 1985, found that testosterone levels fell before the onset of wasting. A study of testosterone levels in women with AIDS wasting found that more than half the women had low levels of testosterone. Symptoms of testosterone deficiency comprise fatigue, reduced sex make, infertility, depression and deprivation of appetite.
These symptoms are common in advanced HIV disease, and may be associated with many other illnesses and malnutrition. Testosterone levels are reduced in chronic illnesses as an adaptive measure to conserve vitality. Even when effective antiretroviral treatment reduces HIV levels and clears up opportunistic infections, some experts suggest that testosterone levels will not return to standard on their own. Opportunistic infections can also lead to hypogonadism.
Testosterone injections or derma patches that deliver testosterone on a daily basis are being investigated as a way of maintaining testosterone levels, and some controlled studies have investigated the effectiveness of various testosterone preparations in encouraging the replacement of lean muscle tissue. A randomized, controlled, double-blind trial of testosterone injections establish that men who received testosterone gained muscle and weight, and reported feeling better in comparison to men who received placebo. However, benefits seem to be restricted to men with hypogonadism.
However, the relationship between HIV infection, testosterone production and AIDS wasting is still unclear. One recent study found no relationship between wasting and hypogonadism, but a review of patients in the Multi center AIDS Cohort Study (MACS), a large United States cohort followed since 1985, found that testosterone levels fell before the onset of wasting. A study of testosterone levels in women with AIDS wasting found that more than half the women had low levels of testosterone. Symptoms of testosterone deficiency comprise fatigue, reduced sex make, infertility, depression and deprivation of appetite.
These symptoms are common in advanced HIV disease, and may be associated with many other illnesses and malnutrition. Testosterone levels are reduced in chronic illnesses as an adaptive measure to conserve vitality. Even when effective antiretroviral treatment reduces HIV levels and clears up opportunistic infections, some experts suggest that testosterone levels will not return to standard on their own. Opportunistic infections can also lead to hypogonadism.
Testosterone injections or derma patches that deliver testosterone on a daily basis are being investigated as a way of maintaining testosterone levels, and some controlled studies have investigated the effectiveness of various testosterone preparations in encouraging the replacement of lean muscle tissue. A randomized, controlled, double-blind trial of testosterone injections establish that men who received testosterone gained muscle and weight, and reported feeling better in comparison to men who received placebo. However, benefits seem to be restricted to men with hypogonadism.
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