Hormones and Fat Distribution: Does Testosterone Therapy Help Older Women?
Androgen therapy in women requires exact medical supervision. Unregulated compounding pharmacies and excessive dosing often lead to androgenic side effects, including hirsutism, cystic acne, androgenic alopecia, and voice changes. Clinical benefits depend on maintaining female physiologic serum levels rather than exceeding them.
In the UConn trials, researchers applied precise transdermal creams delivering 0.5 mg to 1.0 mg of bioidentical testosterone per day. This micro-dosing protocol produced free testosterone concentrations between 15 ng/dL and 45 ng/dL, safely within normal female physiological parameters. Routine blood monitoring at 6-week intervals tracked liver enzymes, lipid panels, and hematocrit to ensure treatment safety.
Women with pre-existing untreated hormone-receptor-positive breast cancers, active hepatic disease, or severe baseline erythrocytosis were excluded from therapy. For appropriate candidates, however, side effect profiles were remarkably mild, with transient mild skin irritation at application sites representing the most frequent complaint.
