Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 27, 2025

Combining Behavioral Endocrinology and Experimental Economics: Testosterone and Social Decision Making
Published on: March 2, 2011
No evidence found for an association between trial characteristics and treatment effects in randomized trials of
Robin Haring1, Mona Ghannad2, Lorenzo Bertizzolo2
1School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; European University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Applied Public Health, Rostock, Germany.
Objective:
The objective of this study was to identify potential trial characteristics associated with reported treatment effect estimates in randomized trials of testosterone therapy in adult men.
Study Design And Setting:
This is a meta-epidemiological study. MEDLINE was searched for meta-analyses of randomized trials of testosterone therapy in men published between 2008 and 2018. Data on trial characteristics were extracted independently by two reviewers. The impact of trial characteristics on reported treatment effects was investigated using a two-step meta-analytic approach.
Results:
We identified 132 randomized trials, included in 19 meta-analyses, comprising data from 10,725 participants. None of the investigated design characteristics, including year of publication, sample size, trial registration status, center status, regionality, funding source, and conflict of interest were statistically significantly associated with reported treatment effects of testosterone therapy in men. Although trials rated at high risk of bias overall reported treatment effects that were 21% larger compared with trials rated at low risk of bias overall, the 95% confidence interval included the null (ratio of odds ratio: 0.79, 95% confidence interval: 0.60 to 1.03).
Conclusion:
The present study found no clear evidence that trial characteristics are associated with treatment effects in randomized trials of testosterone therapy in men. To establish stronger evidence about the treatment effects of testosterone therapy in men, future randomized trials should not only be adequately designed but also transparently reported.
Study Registration:
osf.io/x9g6m.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Regression Toward the Mean
Clinical Trials
There are four phases in a clinical trial. A phase one...
Hazard Ratio
For example, in a clinical trial...
Disorders of the Male Reproductive System
Prostate disorders are another major concern. These conditions can impair urinary flow due to the prostate's location around the urethra....
Clinical Trials: Overview
Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast,...

