Male osteoporosis and androgenic therapy: from testosterone to SARMs

As in the women, male osteoporosis represents an important social problem, amplified by the increasing life expectance.Differently from women, 50% of male osteoporosis is secondary to treatments and/or diseases that make mandatory their search through an accurate clinical investigations in every newly diagnosed osteoporotic men. Male osteoporosis is frequently underdiagnosed and consequently undertreated, and too often it is revealed only after the occurrence of a fragility fracture. Androgens may prevent the loss of cancellous bone and stimulate periosteal cortical bone apposition. The anabolic effect of testosterone on both bone and muscle, is limited by the high incidence of androgenic side effects. Hypogonadism is the only situation where the benefits of the use of testosterone formulations exceed the side effects. Selective androgen receptor modulators can dissociate androgenic and anabolic effect on different tissues with various strategies. Many compounds have been studied with positive results in vivo and in clinical trials.