Effects of testosterone and growth hormone supplementation therapies on quality of life in older men: exploratory findings from the HORMA study

Unrestricted As men age, their testosterone and growth hormone axes decline and may be associated with decrements in quality of life (QOL). Hormone replacement or supplementation is one potential option to improve QOL. The HORMA study investigates whether different levels of testosterone and human growth hormone supplementation affect quality of life in 65-90 year old men with low levels of testosterone and IGF-1 (a measure of GH status). In men who received a 10g/day dose of testosterone to achieve youthful levels plus human growth hormone placebo showed a decrease (p=0.02) in mental health-related QOL whereas those who received a 5μg/kg/day of GH at the same dose of testosterone improved (p<0.05). Additionally, among those who received testosterone at 10g/day, increased mental health-related QOL was positively correlated (r=0.33; p=0.02) with increasing serum IGF-1. These preliminary findings suggest testosterone and human growth hormone supplementation may positively affect mental health-related QOL in older men.