How people get it: By prescription.
The basics
What it is
Testosterone is a hormone made by the testicles.
Source: MedlinePlus (NIH): Could you have low testosterone?: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia ↗
How it's thought to work
The medicine used in this treatment is man-made testosterone.
Source: MedlinePlus (NIH): Could you have low testosterone?: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia ↗
What people use it for
- Testosterone therapy may help reduce symptoms of low testosterone.
- It may relieve or improve symptoms in some men, and may help keep bones and muscles strong.
- A review said the only evidence-based use of testosterone therapy in women is low sexual desire after menopause.
Sources: MedlinePlus (NIH): Could you have low testosterone?: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia ↗ · PubMed abstract: Testosterone use for hypoactive sexual desire disorder in postmenopausal women. ↗
What the research has found so far
It seems to work better in young men with very low testosterone levels, and can also help older men.
Source: MedlinePlus (NIH): Could you have low testosterone?: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia ↗
On Testosterone therapy and aging, PubMed lists 151 trials in people, 154 studies that watched people over time, 91 animal and lab studies. See the counts and searches
Stage 3 because 2 large (phase 3) trials in people for aging, muscles, bones and mobility, memory and mood, the heart and blood sugar or weight have been published.
A stage shows how far research has got, not whether it will work for you. How stages work
Side effects and risks
- The page lists these possible risks: infertility, enlarged prostate with trouble urinating, blood clots, worse heart disease, sleep problems, and cholesterol problems.
- There is an increased risk of high blood pressure with this therapy.
- It is unclear whether the therapy raises the risk of prostate cancer or prostate enlargement symptoms.
Source: MedlinePlus (NIH): Could you have low testosterone?: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia ↗
Who should be careful, and drug interactions
The therapy is avoided in men with prostate or breast cancer because it may worsen their condition. If symptoms do not change after 3 months of treatment, it is less likely the therapy will help.
Source: MedlinePlus (NIH): Could you have low testosterone?: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia ↗
Approval and legal status
Amounts used in studies
What studies or labels describe, not a recommendation.
The page says testosterone replacement therapy can be given as a pill, gel, patch, injection, or implant.
Source: MedlinePlus (NIH): Could you have low testosterone?: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia ↗
Roughly what it costs
We don't have prices for this yet.
Questions to ask your doctor
- Is Testosterone therapy a sensible option for me, given my health and the medicines I take?
- Could Testosterone therapy interact with any medicine or supplement I already take?
- What side effects should I watch for, and when should I stop or call you?
- Would Testosterone therapy be used for its approved purpose, or off-label for aging?
- How would we tell whether it is helping, and when should we review it?
This is general information gathered from the sources listed, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor before starting anything new.
What experts say
No expert views collected yet. Each one we add names the person and links to where they said it.
What others are writing
Recent articles about Testosterone therapy from health journalists, hospitals and universities. We link to them; we don't write or endorse them.
Testosterone therapy without evidence of deficiency may boost heart risk ↗
“A recent study found that men who use testosterone without evidence of low testosterone (hypogonadism) face a higher risk of serious cardiovascular problems and death from all causes than men who use testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for documented hypogonadism.”
A study found men using testosterone without low-testosterone diagnosis had higher heart problem and death risk than those treated for hypogonadism.
Recent research
New studies that mention Testosterone therapy appear here after the morning update.
Trials
None of the registered trials of Testosterone therapy is one we have linked as aging-related yet.
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 331 registered trials that mention Testosterone therapy, for any condition (the count in The science below). Here we show the ones about aging. See them all ↗
The science
Counted from PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov on Oct 17, 2026, using one search for Testosterone therapy in relation to aging. Each link opens the exact search.
- Randomized trials in people
- 137 search ↗
- Large trials (multicenter or phase 3)
- 25 search ↗
- Phase 3 trials
- 3 search ↗
- Trials in people
- 151 search ↗
- Studies that watched people over time
- 154 search ↗
- Animal and lab studies
- 91 search ↗
- Registered trials
- 331 search ↗
PubMed search used
("testosterone therapy"[tiab] OR "testosterone replacement"[tiab] OR "testosterone treatment"[tiab]) AND (older[tiab] OR aging[tiab] OR ageing[tiab] OR elderly[tiab])
Counts are search results, so they include some records that only mention Testosterone therapy. How we count
Cite or share this page
Longevity Verdict. (n.d.). Testosterone therapy: Research stage and evidence. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://longevityverdict.com/treatments/testosterone-therapy
<iframe src="https://longevityverdict.com/embed/stage/testosterone-therapy" title="Testosterone therapy: research stage on Longevity Verdict" width="340" height="72" style="border:0" loading="lazy"></iframe>
The badge shows this treatment's current research stage and links back here. It updates by itself when the stage changes.