Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of randomly assigned study participants
| Testosterone group (n = 49) |
Placebo group (n = 51) |
P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years | 54.3 (47.3–59.8) | 52.8 (47.6–60.1) | 0.93 |
| Weight, kg | 118.3 (15.7) | 120.7 (19.6) | 0.51 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 37.5 (34.9–40.5) | 37.3 (34.7–41.6) | 0.60 |
| Waist circumference, cm | 124 (118–131) | 123 (117–136) | 0.62 |
| SBP, mmHg | 135 (14) | 130 (13) | 0.06 |
| DBP, mmHg | 80 (78–88) | 80 (78–85) | 0.85 |
| Handgrip, kg | 44 (41–50) | 46 (40–55) | 0.65 |
| Fat mass, kg | 44.3 (10.0) | 46.4 (10.6) | 0.30 |
| Fat mass, % | 38.8 (33.5–42.3) | 38.9 (36.0–43.5) | 0.208 |
| Lean mass, kg | 68.1 (7.3) | 67.4 (9.1) | 0.67 |
| ALM/height2, kg/m2 | 9.7 (1.0) | 9.6 (0.8) | 0.35 |
| VAT area, mm2 | 25,088 (8617) | 24,836 (9557) | 0.89 |
| Ischemic heart diseasea | 6 (12.2 %) | 6 (11.8 %) | 0.94 |
| Diabetes | 10 (20.4 %) | 12 (23.5 %) | 0.71 |
| Metformin | 3 (6.1 %) | 3 (5.9 %) | 0.96 |
| Statin use | 14 (28.6 %) | 15 (29.4 %) | 1.0 |
| Steps per day | 6378 (4761–7543) | 6371 (4816–7440) | 0.79 |
| Activity (%/day) | 14.2 (5.7) | 13.5 (4.5) | 0.49 |
| Physical performance test (sec) | 36.2 (32.5–41.6) | 37.1 (33.1–40.5) | 0.40 |
| TT, nmol/L, ECLIA | 8.2 (2.5) | 8.4 (2.3) | 0.65 |
| TT, nmol/L, LCMS/MS | 6.8 (2.0) | 7.0 (1.6) | 0.55 |
| cFT, pmol/L, ECLIA | 195 (58) | 208 (55) | 0.23 |
| cFT, pmol/L, LCMS/MS | 159 (46) | 172 (44) | 0.15 |
| SHBG, nmol/L | 25 (18–31) | 21 (17–26) | 0.17 |
| LH, IU/L | 4.5 (3.3–5.6) | 4.2 (3.1–5.2) | 0.70 |
| Fasting glucose, mmol/L | 5.8 (5.3–6.1) | 5.8 (5.4–6.4) | 0.72 |
| HOMA-IR | 3.3 (1.0) | 3.6 (1.1) | 0.27 |
| HbA1c, % | 6.0 (5.6–6.2) | 6.1 (5.8–6.5) | 0.23 |
| Total cholesterol, mmol/L | 5.1 (4.3–5.6) | 4.8 (4.4–5.7) | 0.60 |
| LDL-c, mmol/L | 2.9 (0.9) | 2.9 (1.0) | 0.99 |
| HDL-c, mmol/L | 1.1 (1.0–1.3) | 1.2 (1.0–1.3) | 0.58 |
| Triglycerides, mmol/L | 1.9 (1.4–2.4) | 1.7 (1.2–2.5) | 0.38 |
| Haematocrit | 0.43 (0.02) | 0.44 (0.02) | 0.003 |
| Haemoglobin, g/L | 148 (8) | 152 (9) | 0.014 |
| PSA, μg/L | 0.7 (0.5–1.1) | 0.7 (0.5–1.2) | 0.79 |
Data are mean (SD), median (IQR) based on normality testing, using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test with Lilliefors correction, or number (%). P values were calculated for the difference between groups using t-test, Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test, χ2 test, or Fisher exact test; P < 0.05 was considered significant
aIschaemic heart disease denotes previous acute myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass grafting, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty
BMI body mass index, DBP diastolic blood pressure, SBP systolic blood pressure, ALM appendicular lean mass, VAT visceral abdominal tissue, SHBG sex hormone binding globulin, TT testosterone, cFT calculated free testosterone, ECLIA electrochemiluminescence immunoassay, LCMS liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy, LH luteinising hormone, HbA1c glycated haemoglobin, LDL-c low density lipoprotein cholesterol, HDL-c high density lipoprotein cholesterol, PSA Prostate-specific antigen