Outcomes associated with hypogonadism in men with chronic kidney disease

Chronic kidney disease is commonly accompanied by disturbances in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Such disturbances in men give rise to hypogonadism and low circulating testosterone levels. The deficiency in testosterone can contribute to clinical outcomes such as sexual dysfunction, decreased bone mineralization, malnutrition and decreased muscle mass, and anemia. The administration of androgens to nonuremic hypogonadal men is usually effective in treating such outcomes. By contrast, the response to therapy in uremic men tends to be much less predictable. This variability in response is not surprising, because these same clinical outcomes can be the result of other aspects of the uremic state or the comorbid conditions that are frequently present in men with chronic kidney disease. Although further studies are needed, testosterone therapy may prove most useful as an adjunct to other more general therapies designed to address the uremic state. (C) 2004 by the National Kidney Foundation, Inc.