A Double-blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Testosterone Therapy for HIV-Positive Men With Hypogonadal Symptoms

Abstract

IN EARLIER studies of marketed antidepressants for treatment of syndromal depression in men with symptomatic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) illness,^1,2 we found that even when depressed mood was alleviated, residual problems often included diminished libido, low energy, and loss of weight and muscle mass. These symptoms resemble the clinical presentation of otherwise medically healthy men with testosterone deficiency,³ for whom the benefits of testosterone replacement therapy are well established.⁴ By the early 1990s it was also becoming recognized that endocrine abnormalities are common in HIV illness, of which the most common is testosterone deficiency.^5-7 These observations together led us to work with testosterone as a therapeutic agent for men with symptomatic HIV illness.