Testosterone Update

Please review the CME/CE information below, and click "continue" to view the activity.

Intended Audience
Endocrinologists, urologists, primary care physicians, cardiologists, and specialists interested in the management and treatment of hypogonadism.

Statement of Need
Hypogonadism is an underdiagnosed and therefore undertreated condition of men that can be associated with serious comorbid conditions. Many signs and symptoms of hypogonadism are subtle and nonspecific, but it is critical to recognize them prior to choosing appropriate interventions. Appropriate screening, recognition, and treatment should be encouraged for any clinician seeing men who are at risk for hypogonadism. Many physicians express concerns about the relationship between prostate cancer and cardiovascular risk as they relate to testosterone therapy. Mounting evidence indicates that low testosterone levels are associated with cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular events, and cardiac death, as well as increased all-cause mortality. Despite compelling data, many clinicians are not aware of the connections between endogenous testosterone levels, comorbid conditions, and overall health.

Educational Objectives
At the conclusion of this activity, participants should be better able to…

Define hypogonadism as a significant, chronic medical condition that is associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, frailty, and cardiovascular disease and may lead to increased morbidity
Examine data on the relationship between serum testosterone concentrations and prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease, demonstrating that a causal relationship has not been established, and recognize that testosterone therapy may be safely initiated in appropriate patient populations
Determine appropriate therapy by differentiating between testosterone formulations
Realize that a critical component of the overall health of men is eugonadal testosterone levels

Accreditation and Certification
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint sponsorship of the Annenberg Center for Health Sciences at Eisenhower and CogniMed Inc. The Annenberg Center is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Annenberg Center designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

There is no charge for this activity. Statements of Credit will be provided by mail following activity participation and upon completion and electronic submission of the posttest and evaluation form to CogniMed Inc. A link to the evaluation form is provided upon completion of the activity. Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for the delivery of your statement.

Disclosure Statement
It is the policy of the Annenberg Center to ensure fair balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all programming. All faculty participating in sponsored programs are expected to identify and reference off-label product use and disclose any significant relationships with those supporting the activity or any others whose products or services are discussed. The faculty for this activity have disclosed that there will be discussion about the use of products for non-FDA-approved indications.

In accordance with the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education standards, parallel documents from other accrediting bodies, and Annenberg Center policy, the following disclosures have been made:

All staff at the Annenberg Center for Health Sciences at Eisenhower have nothing to disclose.

All staff at CogniMed Inc. have nothing to disclose.

Martin M. Miner, MD, receives research support from Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Indevus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. He is a consultant for GlaxoSmithKline/Schering-Plough Corporation and Sanofi-Aventis.

Ajay Nehra, MD, is a consultant for American Medical Systems, Bayer AG, Coloplast, Indevus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Pfizer Inc.

The ideas and opinions presented in this educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Annenberg Center and/or its agents. As in all educational activities, we encourage the practitioners to use their own judgment in treating and addressing the needs of each individual patient, taking into account that patient's unique clinical situation. The Annenberg Center disclaims all liability and cannot be held responsible for any problems that may arise from participating in this activity or following treatment recommendations presented.

This activity is supported by an independent educational grant provided by Endo Pharmaceuticals.

This activity is an enduring material and consists of an online monograph. Successful completion is achieved by reading the material, reflecting on its implications in your practice, and completing the assessment component.

The estimated time to complete this activity is 1 hour.

This activity was originally released July 29, 2011, and is eligible for credit through July 29, 2012.

This piece was written by a medical writer and reviewed by faculty members. Faculty have final editorial control over the piece.