If I were an AIDS patient I would be pretty pissed off to hear that kind of talk, as if I wouldn't be concerned about cancer. It is also contrary to the results of studies of DHT gel.
"The effects of 3 months of DHT treatment on the prostate in this study were minimal or even potentially beneficial, because there was no evidenceof stimulatory effects on prostate volumes or PSA concen-trations. Indeed, the underlying tendency toward prostate volume growth in older men, as evident in the placebo-treated group, was absent in the DHT-treated men. This raises the possibility that DHT treatment, because of its inability to exhibit intraprostatic amplification, has less selective prostate growth effects than would T."
The above was part of the conclusion of the study whose abstract is reproduced below:
J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2001 Sep;86(9):4078-88
A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial of transdermal dihydrotestosterone gel on muscular strength, mobility, and quality of life in older men with partial androgen deficiency.
Ly LP, Jimenez M, Zhuang TN, Celermajer DS, Conway AJ, Handelsman DJ.
Department of Andrology, Concord Hospital, Concord, New South Wales 2139, Australia.
The efficacy and safety of androgen supplementation in older men remains controversial. Despite biochemical evidence of partial androgen deficiency in older men, controlled studies using T demonstrate equivocal benefits. Furthermore, the importance of aromatization and 5alpha reduction in androgen actions among older men remains unclear. Dihydrotestosterone is the highest potency natural androgen with the additional features that it is neither aromatizable nor susceptible to potency amplification by 5alpha reduction. Therefore, the effects of dihydrotestosterone may differ from those of T in older men. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of 3 months treatment with transdermal dihydrotestosterone gel on muscle strength, mobility, and quality of life in ambulant, community-dwelling men aged 60 yr or older. Eligible men (plasma T < or =15 nmol/liter) were randomized to undergo daily dermal application of 70 mg dihydrotestosterone gel (n = 18) or vehicle (n = 19) and were studied before, monthly during, and 1 month after treatment. Among 33 (17 dihydrotestosterone, 16 placebo) men completing the study with a high degree of compliance, dihydrotestosterone had significant effects on circulating hormones (increased dihydrotestosterone; decreased total and free testosterone, LH, and FSH; unchanged SHBG and estradiol), lipid profiles (decreased total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterols; unchanged high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides), hematopoiesis (increased hemoglobin, hematocrit, and red cell counts), and body composition (decreased skinfold thickness and fat mass; unchanged lean mass and waist to hip ratio). Muscle strength measured by isokinetic peak torque was increased in flexion of the dominant knee but not in knee extension or shoulder contraction, nor was there any significant change in gait, balance, or mobility tests, in cognitive function, or in quality of life scales. Dihydrotestosterone treatment had no adverse effects on prostate (unchanged prostate volumes and prostate-specific antigen) and cardiovascular (no adverse change in vascular reactivity or lipids) safety markers. We conclude that 3 months treatment with transdermal dihydrotestosterone gel demonstrates expected androgenic effects, short-term safety, and limited improvement in lower limb muscle strength but no change in physical functioning or cognitive function.