The Study
Testosterone therapy increases muscle mass in men with cirrhosis and low testosterone: A randomised controlled trial.
This study tried giving testosterone to men with liver disease and low testosterone and found they gained muscle and lost fat — but we can't be 100% sure it was the testosterone because we didn't see the full study. Still, since it was done like a fair test (some got the real stuff, some got fake), we can say it probably helped.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Men with serious liver disease and low testosterone got monthly testosterone shots or dummy shots for a year. Those who got testosterone built more muscle, lost fat, had stronger bones, more blood, and better blood sugar.
Where does this study sit?
Systematic Reviews & Meta-analyses
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control
Max 58Cross-Sectional
Max 44Case Reports & Series
Max 30Expert Opinion
Max 560 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. Considered the gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — these changes are clinically meaningful: more muscle helps mobility and survival, less fat and better blood sugar reduce diabetes risk, higher hemoglobin fights anemia.
- 2Muscle up by 1.69kg in arms/legs, 4.74kg total; fat down by 4.34kg; bone mass up by 0.08kg; bone density up 0.287 points; blood count up 10.2g/L; blood sugar (HbA1c) down 0.35%.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Journal of hepatology
Year
2016
Authors
M. Sinclair, M. Grossmann, R. Hoermann, P. Angus, P. Gow
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.