■ Testosterone replacement via a transdermal patchis ‘safe’ and increases lean body mass in men with lowserum testosterone levels and HIV infection, sayresearchers in the US. In this study, 41 such men wererandomised to apply 2 transdermal patches containingtestosterone [‘Androderm’] 2.5 mg/patch (n = 20), or2 placebo patches (21), to the abdomen, back, arms orthighs, every night for 12 weeks.* Testosteronetherapy significantly increased lean body mass and fat-free mass compared with baseline, while no changewas seen with placebo. The change in lean body masscorrelated with the change in testosterone levelsduring testosterone replacement. The incidence ofadverse effects did not differ between the 2 groups.* The study was supported in part by SmithKline Beecham.

Bhasin S, et al. Effects of testosterone replacement with a nongenital,transdermal system, Androderm, in human immunodeficiency virus-infectedmen with low testosterone levels. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology andMetabolism 83: 3155-3162, Sep 1998 800700445