Small Trial Suggests Testosterone Reduces MS Pathology in Men

A small, non-placebo controlled clinical trial testing testosterone patches in men with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis offered promising results. Brain atrophy slowed by 67 percent in ten men receiving daily transdermal testosterone treatments for one year. Their cognitive function also increased.

Ten men with relapsing-remitting MS, ranging from 29 to 61 years of age, were studied. [...] After a six-month observation period, they were treated with testosterone gel applied to the skin (10 grams daily, containing 100 mgs of testosterone) for one year. None of the men were taking disease-modifying therapies. [...]

After 12 months of testosterone treatment, measures of clinical disease activity remained stable, blood tests were normal, and no adverse events related to treatment were reported. The men showed significant improvements in performance on a test of cognitive function called the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task (a test of processing speed and memory) compared to the pre-treatment period. The authors report that the improvement could not be accounted for by well-known "practice effects," which had stabilized during the pre-treatment period.

Beyond the obvious caveats associated with non-placebo controlled trials, it should be noted that participants "began the study with relatively low levels of disease activity on MRI." These results will need to be confirmed by controlled trials using a larger pool of patients before this can be offered as a standard treatment for MS.

Women have a similar trial in the works testing estriol, so this is an equal opportunity thing: You take your sex hormone, I'll take mine.

Positive Results Published On Testosterone For Men With MS [Medical News Today]