Meta-analysis suggests association between testosterone treatment and alleviation of depressive symptoms in men. (2019)
From the publication:
To our knowledge, the present meta-analysis is the largest examination to date of the association of testosterone treatment with depressive symptoms in men, including 27 RCTs comprising 1890 men. Replicating and extending previous work, we show evidence for a moderate antidepressant association of testosterone treatment compared with placebo, identifying an effect size of the overall analysis of Hedges g of 0.21.
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Irrespective of any bias, analysis of potential moderators revealed that dose was a likely moderator, indicating robust effects for dosages higher than 500 mg/wk (Figure 3B). Previous studies failed to detect testosterone dose-response relationships for mood, including for depressive symptoms.
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Remarkably, initial testosterone status was not a moderator of the effect of testosterone treatment on depressive symptoms. This result contradicts a previously published study showing up to a 3-fold increased incidence of MDD in hypogonadal men.