Oral Testosterone Undecanoate Can Improve Liver Function

Oral testosterone undecanoate (TU) may help normalize serum liver enzymes and triglycerides among men at risk for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), according to results from a post-hoc analysis of the SOAR clinical trial.

The findings were presented during a Late-breaking poster session at The Liver Meeting, hosted by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

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Previous research indicates male hypogonadism is associated with NAFLD. However, whether testosterone therapy can treat NAFLD is unknown.

To reach their conclusions, Dr Arun Sanyal from Virginia Commonwealth University and colleagues randomly assigned 315 men with hypogonadism to receive either oral TU (n=210) or topical testosterone (n=105). 

Of the participants in the oral TU group, 56% were obese, 48% hypertensive, 22% diabetic, and 9% had metabolic syndrome.

After 1 year of therapy, participants who received oral TU had reduced alanine transaminase and triglycerides levels; those with metabolic syndrome at baseline experienced the greatest reduction compared with other morbidities.

Among 42 participants with above-normal alanine transaminase levels at baseline, 52% completed the trial with normal levels. Among 73 participants with above-normal triglyceride levels at baseline, 34% had normal levels upon completion of the oral TU therapy.

No deaths, treatment-related adverse events, treatment-related serious adverse events, major adverse cardiac events, and serious or severe hepatic disorders were reported among participants who received oral TU. 

“Similar findings were observed in another oral TU trial (NCT03242590),” the researchers concluded. “The further study of oral TU in NAFLD is warranted.”

— Colleen Murphy

Reference:

Sanyal AJ, Chidambaram N, Nachaegari S, et al. Oral testosterone undecanoate normalizes liver function measures and serum triglycerides in subjects at risk for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Poster presented at: AASLD’s The Liver Meeting; November 9-13, 2018; San Francisco, CA. https://plan.core-apps.com/tristar_aasld18/abstract/1cd464b79336d9176dd9c2472ad4520f. Accessed November 6, 2018.