7 alpha-Methyl-19-nortestosterone: an ideal androgen for replacement therapy.

MENT is a synthetic androgen which cannot be 5 alpha-reduced. Therefore, relative to T, its stimulatory action on the prostate is lower than that on the muscle and pituitary. Like T, MENT undergoes enzymatic aromatization to an estrogen. We conclude that the use of MENT instead of T for androgen replacement therapy could have health-promoting effects by reducing the occurrence of prostate disease.