Longevity & AgingMost Men on Testosterone Therapy Never Got Proper Diagnostic Testing
A retrospective chart review of 200 men prescribed testosterone therapy found that only 12% received guideline-concordant diagnostic testing before starting treatment. Researchers at the University of Michigan reviewed records of male patients diagnosed with hypogonadism, finding widespread gaps in pre-treatment evaluation. Nearly 40% had appropriate lab work but received testosterone despite documented contraindications like sleep apnea, prostate cancer, or elevated PSA. Testosterone prescriptions have quadrupled over the past 30 years in the U.S. without a corresponding rise in hypogonadism diagnoses. Risks of unsupervised testosterone use include high blood pressure, abnormal red blood cell production, and infertility. The findings, presented at ENDO 2026, highlight a systemic gap in clinical practice that could expose patients to preventable harm.
