Table 2

Characteristics of randomised controlled trials reviewed

			Population				Baseline mean total testosterone (nmol/L)
Study identification	Country	Sample size	Major inclusion criteria	Major exclusion criteria	Sex (M/W)	Mean age (years)	Treated	Controls
Casaburi et al37	USA	47	Stable COPD, spirometry FEV₁ ≤60% predicted and FEV₁/VC ≤60%; total testosterone ≤13.9 nmol/L	CVD, low or high bodyweight, prostatic indications, haemoglobin ≥16 g/dL, orthopaedic impairments	M	67	(a) 10.5; (b) 14.1	(a) 10.5; (b) 9.6
Creutzberg et al38	The Netherlands	56	Stable COPD, ATS criteria, spirometry FEV₁ <70% predicted and increase in FEV₁ <10% postbronchodilation	Obesity, malignancies, CVD, gastrointestinal inflammatory disorders, type 1 diabetes, oxygen dependency at rest	M	66	13.4	14.6
Ferreira et al39	Brazil	17	Ambulatory and stable COPD, spirometry maximal inspiratory pressure <60% predicted and BMI <20 kg/m²	CVD, prostatic indications	M	69	14.4	17.2
Pison et al16	France	122	Stable CRF, >18 years, PaO₂ ≤8 kPa, long-term oxygen therapy and/or home mechanical ventilation >3 months, BMI ≤21 kg/m² or fat-free mass index <25th centile	Pulmonary hypertension, sleep apnoea, prostatic indications, neuromuscular diseases, cystic fibrosis, conditions compromising 6-month survival, hormone-dependent cancer, women of childbearing age, elevated aminotransferase	M/W	66	M 12.7; W 0.45	M 13.6; W 0.42
Sharma et al40	Canada	16	Stable COPD, GOLD criteria stage 3–4, spirometry FEV₁ <50% predicted and FEV₁/FVC <0.7	History of asthma, obesity, malignancy, CVD, prostatic indications, renal, hepatic, gastrointestinal or endocrine disease, recent surgery ≤2 months	M/W	68	M NR	W NR
Svartberg et al41	Norway	29	Stable COPD, moderate to severe, spirometry FEV₁ <60% predicted	Asthma, malignancies, CVD, hepatic or endocrine disease	M	66	21.6	20.5

Treatments	Control conditions	Trial duration (weeks)	Outcomes (assessments, units)	Quality score (out of 8)
(a) Testosterone enanthate, 100 mg/week IM; (b) Testosterone enanthate, 100 mg/week IM with RT	(a) Placebo; (b) Placebo with RT	10	Muscle strength (leg press, 1RM kg); cardiorespiratory fitness (bicycle, peak VO₂ L/min and peak workload Watts)	5.0
Nandrolone decanoate, 50 mg/2 weeks IM	Placebo	8	Muscle strength (knee extension, peak isometric force Newtons); cardiorespiratory fitness (bicycle, peak workload Watts and peak VO₂ mL/min); HRQoL (SGRQ total score)	6.0
Testosterone, 250 mg IM at baseline and oral stanozolol, 12 mg/day with PR	Placebo with PR 9–27 weeks	27	Cardiorespiratory fitness (bicycle, peak VO₂% predicted; 6MWT, distance metres)	5.0
Oral testosterone undecanoate, M 80 mg/W 40 mg twice daily with PR	Home education on self-management of COPD-related stress and anxiety	13	Muscle strength (knee extension, peak isometric force Newtons); cardiorespiratory fitness (6MWT, distance metres; bicycle, peak workload Watts); HRQoL (CRQ total score)	5.0
Nandrolone decanoate, M 50 mg/W 25 mg/2 weeks IM with PR	Placebo with PR	16	Muscle strength (knee extension, peak isometric force units NR); cardiorespiratory fitness (bicycle, peak VO₂% predicted and peak workload Watts; 6MWT, distance metres); HRQoL (CRQ fatigue subscore)	4.5
Testosterone enanthate, 250 mg/4 weeks IM	Placebo	26	Cardiorespiratory fitness (6MWT, distance metres)	5.5

1RM, one repetition maximum; 6MWT, 6 min walking test; ATS, American Thoracic Society; BMI, body mass index; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CRF, chronic respiratory failure; CRQ, chronic respiratory questionnaire; CVD, cardiovascular diseases; FEV₁, forced expiratory volume in 1 s; FVC, forced vital capacity; GOLD, Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease; HRQoL, health-related quality of life; IM, intramuscular injection; M, men; NR, not reported; PR, pulmonary rehabilitation; RT, resistance training; VO₂, volume of oxygen uptake; W, women.