Today (November 13), the New York Times and the Boston Globe both carried staff-written stories about a report about testosterone issued yesterday by a committee of the Institute of Medicine. There was also an Associated Press wire-service story by Lauran Neergaard on the report.
It is fascinating to look at the divergent ways Neergaard’s story appeared in different newspapers.
In the Chicago Sun-Times, the headline reads OLDER MEN WARNED TO GO EASY ON TESTOSTERONE. And here’s the first paragraph--”Thousands of older men turn to that macho hormone testosterone in search of youthful vigor and virility, but scientists issued a big caution Wednesday: There's little evidence the therapy fights any effects of aging, much less that it's safe.”
In my local paper, the headline above Neegaard’s byline is IS TESTOSTERONE THERAPY EFFECTIVE--OR EVEN SAFE. And the first paragraph reads-- “Tens of thousands of aging men are trying testosterone shots, patches and gel in hopes of regaining youthful vigor and virility. A new report uncovers little evidence it works - or that the therapy is even safe - but recommends careful study to find out.”
The stories in the NYT and the Globe are only marginally better than the AP story. All follow the pattern of summarizing parts of the IOM report, interspersed with quotes from various medical professionals.
Fortunately, the IOM’s lengthy report, “Testosterone and Aging: Clinical Research Directions,” is available online in searchable form at--
http://www.nap.edu/books/0309090636/html/
And it is very clear that the IOM was not suggesting that males who are deficient in testosterone (have hypogonadism) should “go easy” on the stuff. In its very first page, it states: “As an FDA-approved treatment for male hypogonadism, testosterone therapy has been found to be effective in markedly hypogonadal males. Researchers have carefully explored the benefits of testosterone therapy in this population.”
What is at issue in this report is the relative benefits and risks of using testosterone therapy in males whose production of this hormone may be low, but not low enough to be diagnosed as hypogonadism--or who have only one or two symptoms of this condition. The main conclusion of the report is that the issues call for clinical study.