Combining Exercise Training And Testosterone Therapy In Older Women After Hip Fracture .
Combining Exercise Training and Testosterone Therapy in Older Women After Hip Fracture: The STEP-HI Randomized Clinical Trial.
JAMA Netw Open . 2025 May 1;8(5):e2510512.One hundred twenty-nine women with mobility impairment following hip fracture were randomized to receive supervised high-intensity exercise plus topical testosterone gel (n=55), exercise plus placebo gel (n=54), or enhanced usual care (n=20). The primary outcome was change in 6-minute walking distance (6MWD) from baseline to 24 weeks. Secondary outcomes included changes in Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) scores, lean body mass, grip strength, and other functional and patient-reported outcomes. Outcomes were assessed at 12 and 24 weeks. Overall, the results revealed no significant differences in 6MWD between the testosterone and placebo groups (mean change: 42.7 m vs 40.5 m, P=.85). However, the testosterone group had greater improvement in SPPB scores (1.5 vs 0.7; P=.009). These findings suggest that while topical testosterone does not enhance long-distance mobility, it may improve short-distance physical performance when combined with exercise.
Unlock the Full ACE Report
You have access to 4 more FREE articles this month.
Click below to unlock and view this ACE Reports
Unlock Now
Critical appraisals of the latest, high-impact randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews in orthopaedics
Access to OrthoEvidence podcast content, including collaborations with the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, interviews with internationally recognized surgeons, and roundtable discussions on orthopaedic news and topics
Subscription to The Pulse, a twice-weekly evidence-based newsletter designed to help you make better clinical decisions
Exclusive access to original content articles, including in-house systematic reviews, and articles on health research methods and hot orthopaedic topics