Testosterone replacement in older men and women.

This article examines in detail the present state of the art concerning androgen deficiency in aging males. There is increasing evidence that testosterone replacement in hypogonadal older males can result in an improvement in quality of life. The major effects of testosterone are on libido, muscles, bone, and cognition. Less information is available concerning the role of testosterone in postmenopausal women, but testosterone replacement may have a role to play in treating disorders of libido and the sarcopenia that occurs at menopause.