Low testosterone was linked to poorer outcomes in advanced liver disease
An observational review linked lower blood testosterone with death or liver transplantation; it did not test whether changing testosterone levels improves outcomes.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Among patients with advanced liver disease, lower total testosterone was associated with a greater risk of death from any cause or liver transplantation during follow-up. This suggests a possible role as a marker of prognosis. The observational evidence cannot show that low testosterone caused these outcomes or that testosterone treatment would prevent them.
The abstract omits follow-up lengths, testosterone thresholds, and adjustment details. Observational associations cannot determine whether testosterone itself has a causal role in the outcomes.
What researchers found
Death from any cause or liver transplant
Low versus higher total testosterone during study follow-up; follow-up lengths not reported. RR is the pooled risk ratio for this combined endpoint.
What the endpoint means
The endpoint combines death from any cause with liver transplantation. It does not separate the association for each outcome, and the abstract gives no event rates for either testosterone group.
What consistency adds
Analyses restricted to men supported the overall association, as did the reported subgroup comparisons. This consistency helps describe the pattern, but it cannot explain why patients with lower testosterone had poorer outcomes.
The original publication
Serum total testosterone and the prognosis of patients with advanced liver disease: a systemic review and meta-analysis.
Zhang XY, Xu HH, Ma JH et al.
PeerJ · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41551464
- Record checked
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