Researchers examine testosterone use to increase BMD in HIV-infected men

A new study has shown that HIV-infected men had lower median bone mineral density (BMD) scores at the hip compared to HIV-uninfected men, and all men who received testosterone had significantly greater BMD scores at the lumbar spine. Further, in HIV-infected men with virologic suppression testosterone was significantly associated with a higher BMD score at the lumbar spine, as reported in AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses.

The article entitled "Effect of Testosterone Use on Bone Mineral Density in HIV-Infected Men" was contributed by Philip Grant, Stanford University (Palo Alto, CA), and coauthors from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health (Baltimore, CA), Northwestern University (Chicago, IL), University of Pittsburgh (PA), Johns Hopkins University, and University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

The researchers propose more extensive examinations of the risks and benefits of testosterone use in older HIV-infected men, with a particular focus on its effects to reduce fracture risk.

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01A095089, U01-AI-35042, UL1-RR-025005, UM10AI-A1-35043, VO1-AI-35039, UO1-AI-35040, UO1-AI-35041, K24 AI1 20834, K23 AI1 1-532. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

"Osteoporosis and fractures are increased in people living with HIV infection. This study reveals that testosterone use can increase bone mineral density, increasing the overall health of men living with HIV." says Thomas Hope, Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief of AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses and Professor of Cell and Molecular Biology at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL.