Tirabassi G, Biagioli A, Balercia G
Division of Endocrinology Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences Umberto I Hospital, Polytechnic University of Marche Ancona, Italy -
Panminerva Med. 2014 Jun;56(2):151-63.
Osteoporosis is an asymptomatic, systemic bone disease characterized by low bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration of bone tissue, resulting in increased bone fragility. Such condition is often underdiagnosed and undertreated, especially in men, therefore considerably increasing the fracture risk. Of note, fracture-related morbidity and mortality is generally higher in men, partly due to greater frailty. On the other hand, male hypogonadism is defined as the failure of the testes to produce androgens, sperm, or both and it is often due to the ageing process. This disorder, in turn, causes many systemic disorders, and it is the condition mainly associated with male osteoporosis. Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is usually prescribed to restore optimal hormone levels, but conflicting data are available about the efficacy of TRT treatment on bone mineral density. In this review we extensively examined literature data about the usefulness of TRT in improving hypogonadism-associated low bone mineral density. Furthermore, we considered the complex relationship between male osteoporosis and hypogonadism, by specifically addressing the role of androgens in male bone physiology and the diagnostic approach to male osteoporosis and hypogonadism and also by dealing with some new related aspects such as the new endocrine pathways between bone and testis and the role of androgen receptor CAG polymorphism on bone density.
骨质疏松症是一种无症状的全身性骨病,其特征为骨量低和骨组织微结构破坏,导致骨脆性增加。这种情况常常诊断不足且治疗不充分,尤其是在男性中,因此大大增加了骨折风险。值得注意的是,骨折相关的发病率和死亡率在男性中通常更高,部分原因是身体更虚弱。另一方面,男性性腺功能减退被定义为睾丸无法产生雄激素、精子或两者皆无法产生,这通常是由于衰老过程所致。这种疾病反过来又会引发许多全身性疾病,并且它是主要与男性骨质疏松症相关的病症。睾酮替代疗法(TRT)通常用于恢复最佳激素水平,但关于TRT治疗对骨矿物质密度的疗效存在相互矛盾的数据。在本综述中,我们广泛研究了有关TRT在改善性腺功能减退相关低骨矿物质密度方面的有用性的文献数据。此外,我们通过具体阐述雄激素在男性骨骼生理学中的作用以及男性骨质疏松症和性腺功能减退的诊断方法,还通过探讨一些新的相关方面,如骨与睾丸之间新的内分泌途径以及雄激素受体CAG多态性对骨密度的作用,来考量男性骨质疏松症与性腺功能减退之间的复杂关系。