Monitoring of Testosterone Replacement Therapy to Optimize the Benefit-to-Risk Ratio

Abstract

For hypogonadal men treated with testosterone, the goal is to ensure that benefits are optimized, risks are minimized, and any adverse effects are identified early and managed appropriately. This can best be achieved by careful patient selection, excluding men with contraindications and addressing any modifiable risk factors in those at increased risk. A standardized plan should be used for monitoring that includes evaluation of symptoms, side effects, adherence, and measurement of testosterone and hematocrit. Shared decision making should be used to determine whether to screen for prostate cancer and informed by age, baseline cancer risk, and patient preference.

Keywords: Hypogonadism; Monitoring; Side effects; Testosterone.