Introduction: Age-related decline in serum testosterone (T) has been suggested in some studies to be associated with individual components of frailty: diminished energy, muscle strength and physical function.
Areas covered: The aim of this study is to comprehensively review evidence from observational and interventional studies on the relationship of T to frailty in older men. We reviewed observational studies exploring the relationship between circulating T and its potent metabolite dihydrotestosterone (DHT) with frailty. We further reviewed the effects of T treatment on lean mass, muscle strength and physical function in both frail and non-frail older men.
Expert commentary: T treatment may provide modest improvements in lean mass among both frail and non-frail older men, but current evidence on the T effect on muscle strength is conflicting and the effect on physical function is weak.
Keywords: Frailty; ageing; androgen; men; testosterone.