Clinical study to focus on men, age

Ed Stannard

Nov. 7, 2009 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- NEW HAVEN -- The Yale School of Medicine is seeking older men for a major clinical study to test whether testosterone therapy can reduce health problems such as decreased physical and sexual function, impaired cognition and cardiovascular disease.

The Testosterone Trial at Yale University and 11 other sites across the nation will include 800 men age 65 and older with low testosterone levels, according to a press release.

"As men age, testosterone levels decline, which may lead to many conditions that are often attributed to age alone," said Dr. Thomas M. Gill, professor of medicine at Yale and a specialist in the health of older adults. "The T-Trial is designed to provide definitive evidence on whether testosterone can reverse these conditions.

"If we find that it is a beneficial therapy, this would provide men and their doctors with the information they need to make treatment decisions. One of our main goals is to help older men with low testosterone remain healthy and independent longer than would have been possible otherwise."

Men will be randomly assigned to a treatment group or a control group. Men in the treatment group will be given a testosterone gel to apply to the torso, abdomen or upper arm, while men in the control group will receive a placebo gel. The study will last one year.

The T-Trial will include separate studies focusing on decreased physical function, low vitality, reduced sexual function, impaired cognition and anemia. The trial is financed largely by the National Institute on Aging and coordinated by the University of Pennsylvania.

Men interested in participating in the trial should call the Yale study center at 737-5672 or toll-free at (877) 523-5672, or e-mail Ttrial@yale.edu. Men living within 50 miles of the Yale Medical School and New Haven are especially sought.

For more information, go to www.ttrial.org.

Newstex ID: KRTB-0141-39533315