CME Information

Intended Audience

This activity was developed for urologists, endocrinologists, primary care physicians, and other healthcare clinicians interested in the management and treatment of hypogonadism.

Statement of Need
Hypogonadism is highly prevalent and associated with serious comorbidities, such as diabetes, but only 10% of hypogonadal men are being treated and 30% to 50% of all patients are nonadherent to therapy. Undertreatment issues include misperceptions about the relationship of testosterone therapy to prostate cancer. Such misplaced concerns have limited the long-term use of testosterone therapy and continue to impede the treatment of hypogonadism. There is a lack of evidence supporting a causal relationship between testosterone therapy and prostate cancer. Furthermore, the underlying pathophysiologic connection between metabolic syndrome, hypogonadism, erectile dysfunction, and cardiovascular disease underscores the importance of early hypogonadism diagnosis and treatment. In addition, testosterone therapy effects proven benefits on body composition, and preliminary evidence suggests that it may increase insulin sensitivity and improve glycosylated hemoglobin levels in hypogonadal men with metabolic syndrome or type 2 diabetes. To optimize outcomes and effectively close treatment gaps, physicians need credible education about how to proactively diagnose and manage hypogonadism and the benefits, adverse events, and efficacy of current and novel therapies in development.

Educational Objectives
Patient outcomes could be measurably improved if physicians were better able to...

  1. Examine current data on the relationship between prostate cancer and serum testosterone concentrations demonstrating that a causal relationship has not been established, and recognize that testosterone therapy may be safely initiated
  2. Determine appropriate therapy to address patient needs by differentiating between testosterone formulations currently available and in development based on efficacy, safety, dosing regimens, and consistency of serum testosterone levels
  3. Recognize that nonadherence to medication is a significant issue for patients with chronic conditions, and identify obstacles and solutions to achieve adherence to and long-term persistence with testosterone therapy

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 for Health Sciences designates this educational activity for a maximum of 0.5 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 return of the evaluation form to TestosteroneUpdate, c/o CogniMed Inc., 70 South Orange Avenue, Suite 200, Livingston, NJ 07039, or by fax to 877-403-5765. Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for the delivery of your statement.

Disclosure Statements
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.

Robert A. Feldman, MD, receives research support from Allergan, Inc.; Amgen Inc.; Astellas Pharma US, Inc.; Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Eli Lilly and Company; Endo Pharmaceuticals; Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; and Warner Chilcott. He is a consultant for Amgen Inc., Medispec, and Pfizer Inc and serves on the speakers bureaus of Amgen Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company.

Joel M. Kaufman, MD, is a consultant for Abbott Laboratories.

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 case study. 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 0.5 hour.

This activity was originally released April 29, 2011, and is eligible for credit through April 30, 2012.

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

© 2011 CogniMed Inc.               All rights reserved.               TU13127/ACHS 4720               April 2011

System Requirements

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