Effects of testosterone levels on functional recovery with rehabilitation in stroke patients

The effects of testosterone on functional recovery in stroke patients have not previously been studied. The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of pre-rehabilitation serum testosterone levels on functional recovery in male stroke patients. In total, 111 male stroke patients admitted to our department were enrolled in the study (age: 74 ± 10 years, days from stroke onset: 36 ± 14 days). Serum concentration of free testosterone (Free-T) was measured upon admission. Patients were also evaluated using the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) at admission and discharge. The main outcome variable was FIM at discharge. Correlations between Free-T and FIM were evaluated using Spearman's rank-order correlation coefficients. We performed multivariate linear regression analysis to assess the effects of testosterone on functional outcome with adjustment for patient background variables. In addition, we added a subgroup analysis based on age. The average Free-T serum concentration was 4.7 ± 1.7 pg/ml. There was a significant positive correlation between Free-T and discharge FIM. The multivariate linear regression model showed that Free-T concentration was significantly associated with FIM at discharge (β = 0.09; P = 0.01). In the subgroup analysis, Free-T had significant association with discharge FIM only in patients under 76 years old (β = 0.24; P < 0.001). Our data suggest that serum Free-T levels have a positive effect for discharge FIM in male stroke patients.