Does it help anxiety or low mood?

What this archive is for. Trials of the compound come first, ranked by how many people were actually given it. Studies that only observed people are below them and labelled.

1. 01RapastinelPeptideStrong. At least two finished studies in people, and at least 1,000 people who took it. 5 completed trials, 2,614 people given it.

   1,087 people given it3 trials

   • A second large trial, two doses instead of one, and the same answer. Six hundred and fifty eight adults with depression got rapastinel at a lower or a higher weekly dose, or a dummy drip. After three weeks all three groups had improved by about the same amount. Neither dose pulled away from the dummy. The company posted the figures at the end of 2019. The company paid for the trial.

     The numbers Phase 3, 658 enrolled, rapastinel 225 mg, 450 mg or placebo weekly. Posted results: MADRS change at 3 weeks of -4.8 (225 mg), -5.4 (450 mg) and -4.9 (placebo); p = 0.89 for 225 mg versus placebo and p = 0.58 for the 450 mg comparison. Sponsor funded; results posted December 2019.

     ClinicalTrials.gov, Naurex / Allergan, 2016· 658 people

   • A third large trial, and a third failure. Four hundred and twenty nine adults with depression got a weekly drip of rapastinel or a dummy. Depression scores fell a little further on the drug after three weeks. The gap was small enough that chance alone routinely produces gaps that size. The company posted the figures in late 2019. The company paid for the trial.

     The numbers Phase 3, 429 enrolled, rapastinel 450 mg or placebo weekly. Posted results: MADRS change at 3 weeks of -5.1 versus -4.1, least squares mean difference -1.0 (95% CI -2.70 to 0.68), p = 0.24. Sponsor funded; results posted November 2019.

     ClinicalTrials.gov, Naurex / Allergan, 2016· 429 people

   • Tested properly in a large trial, and it did not work. Four hundred and sixty five adults with depression got a weekly drip of rapastinel or a dummy on top of their usual antidepressant. After three weeks, depression scores had fallen by the same amount in both groups. If anything the dummy group did slightly better. The company posted the figures in 2019 and never published them in a journal. The company paid for the trial.

     The numbers Phase 3, 465 enrolled, weekly intravenous rapastinel 450 mg or placebo added to an antidepressant. Posted results: MADRS change at 3 weeks of -4.7 on rapastinel versus -5.0 on placebo, least squares mean difference 0.3 (95% CI -1.07 to 1.72), p = 0.65. Sponsor funded; results posted October 2019, never published in a journal.

     ClinicalTrials.gov, Naurex / Allergan, 2016· number of people not given

2. 02Melanotan IPeptideModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 2 completed trials, 170 people given it.8 reported

   115 people given it1 trial, 2 watch-only1 found nothing

   • A safety study required by European regulators, and the company that sells the drug is all over it. 200 patients were treated and nobody was left untreated, so there is no comparison group. Quality of life scores rose against where patients started, and about nine in ten who began treatment were still on it. Several authors receive research support from CLINUVEL for entering registry data, three are salaried employees, and one of those also holds company stock. All of that was disclosed in the paper.

     The numbers The German arm of the post-authorisation safety study (EUPAS13004) imposed as a condition of the European marketing authorisation: 200 treated patients and no untreated comparator. Quality of life rose against baseline (p<0.0001) and 91.0 percent of patients who started remained on treatment. Several authors receive CLINUVEL research support for registry data entry and three are salaried by the company, one also holding stock; all disclosed in the paper.

     Photodermatology, Photoimmunology and Photomedicine, 2025· 200 peopleobserved only, nobody was given it

   • found nothingRegulators ordered this follow-up study, and it found real gains in daily life. 117 patients at one hospital were tracked for about two years. On average they gained roughly six more hours outside each week, and their quality of life scores rose. Painful sun reactions still happened as often and lasted as long; they just hurt less. Everyone in the study was on the drug, so there is no untreated group to compare against. The authors had no financial ties to declare.

     The numbers Single-centre post-authorisation cohort directed and approved by the European Medicines Agency: 117 patients, median follow-up 2.0 years. Time outside rose 6.1 hours per week (95% CI 3.62 to 8.67) and quality of life 14.01 percent (95% CI 4.53 to 23.50). Phototoxic reactions were less painful but their number and duration did not differ significantly. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

     JAMA Dermatology, 2020· 117 peopleobserved only, nobody was given it

   • People with a painful light-intolerance disease felt far better on afamelanotide, but nobody got a dummy implant. 115 patients received just over a thousand implants across up to eight years at clinics in Rome and Zurich. Their quality of life scores started at about a third of the best possible and rose to roughly three quarters, then stayed there. Three patients said it had not met their hopes, and about a quarter stopped for other reasons, mostly pregnancy or cost. Side effects were minor, mainly nausea.

     The numbers 115 patients given 1,023 implants over up to eight years at porphyria centres in Rome and Zurich. Disease-specific quality of life rose from 31 percent plus or minus 24 of maximum before treatment to 74 percent and held there. Three patients said it had not met their expectations and 23 percent stopped for other reasons, mostly pregnancy or cost. Adverse events were minor, predominantly nausea. Observational, with no control group.

     British Journal of Dermatology, 2015· 115 people

   What people using it report

   • Tinnitus, eye floaters, anxiety and low mood are raised repeatedly, and in the harm reduction discussions specifically these are treated as reasons to take the whole class seriously rather than as rare curiosities. Loss of enjoyment is described by some long-term users of the related compound as the effect that made them stop.
3. 03Semax / SelankBlendModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 2 completed trials, 172 people given it.9 reported

   62 people given it1 trial

   • Selank calmed anxiety about as well as a standard sedative did. Sixty two people with long running anxiety or exhaustion were split by chance between Selank and medazepam, a drug in the same family as valium. Both groups improved by a similar amount, and the Selank group was also described as less tired and more alert. Nobody got a dummy, so there is no way to know how much of either result was the drug and how much was time and attention. No Semax was given.

     The numbers 62 patients with generalised anxiety disorder or neurasthenia randomised to Selank, 30 patients, or the benzodiazepine medazepam, 32 patients. Anxiolytic effects were similar between the two, and Selank additionally showed anti-asthenic and psychostimulant effects. An active comparator design with no placebo arm, and no Semax given.

     Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova, 2008· 62 people

   What people using it report

   • A flatter, calmer mood, credited to the Selank and described as taking the edge off without making people drowsy.
4. 04Semax with selank and dihexaBlendLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 1 completed trial, 62 people given it.7 reported

   62 people given it1 trial

   • Selank calmed anxiety about as well as an older anti-anxiety drug, in a small Russian study. 62 patients with long-running anxiety or nervous exhaustion were treated, 30 with selank and 32 with medazepam. They were rated on standard anxiety scales. The two drugs came out about the same, and selank also lifted energy and alertness. Two limits matter. There was no dummy group, so nothing tells us how these patients would have done untreated. And no team outside Russia has repeated it.

     The numbers 62 patients with generalised anxiety disorder and neurasthenia, 30 on selank and 32 on medazepam, assessed with the Hamilton, Zung and CGI scales alongside serum enkephalin activity. The anxiolytic effects of the two drugs were similar, and selank also showed antiasthenic and psychostimulant effects. An active comparator trial in a Russian journal, with no Western replication.

     Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova, 2008· 62 people

   What people using it report

   • Less anxiety without feeling sleepy, which people credit to the selank. That matches what the comparison study found.
   • Irritability or feeling overstimulated, mostly at higher amounts.
5. 05DSIP with selank and epitalonBlendLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 1 completed trial, 62 people given it.6 reported

   62 people given it1 trial

   • Selank eased anxiety about as well as an older anti-anxiety drug, in a small Russian study. 62 patients were treated, 30 on selank and 32 on medazepam, with similar results on standard anxiety scales. One detail matters in a product sold for sleep. Selank also acted as a mild stimulant in that study, lifting energy and alertness. There was no dummy group, and no team outside Russia has repeated the work.

     The numbers 62 patients with generalised anxiety disorder and neurasthenia, 30 on selank against 32 on medazepam. Anxiolytic effects were similar between the two drugs, and selank additionally showed antiasthenic and psychostimulant effects. The psychostimulant finding is worth noting in a product sold for sleep.

     Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova, 2008· 62 people

6. 06SemaxPeptideModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 4 completed trials, 354 people given it.9 reported

   27 people given it1 trial

   • Semax was measured against a nerve test and it did nothing. Twenty seven people with motor neuron disease took semax up the nose for two ten day courses. Their nerve and muscle testing did not change, and neither did the clinical ratings of their disease. The only score that moved was how they rated their own quality of life, biggest at day ten. That is the softest measure in the study and the one most easily swayed by knowing you are being treated.

     The numbers 27 patients given intranasal Semax 12 mg daily in two 10 day courses: the authors state Semax did not influence chronic partial denervation on needle EMG or the clinical estimates, and report improvement only in the total quality of life score, largest at day 10.

     Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova, 2007· 27 people

   What people using it report

   • Anxiety is the sharpest disagreement in the whole discussion. A substantial group report it makes anxiety worse and describe it as anxiety-inducing, particularly at higher doses, while others report the opposite. Both positions are held by long-term users and neither is fringe.
7. 07MelittinPeptideModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 5 completed trials, 658 people given it.4 reported

   26 people given it1 trial

   • Bee sting therapy failed on every measure it was tested on. Twenty six people with relapsing multiple sclerosis were stung up to twenty times a session, three times a week, for six months. Brain scans showed no fewer new lesions. Relapses, disability, fatigue and quality of life were all unchanged. Nobody was seriously harmed. The comparison was against no treatment at all, so everyone knew what they were getting. A Dutch team ran it.

     The numbers Live bee stings, up to 20 per session three times weekly for 24 weeks, versus no treatment, in 26 people with relapsing MS. No reduction in new gadolinium enhancing MRI lesions, T2 lesion load, relapse rate, disability, fatigue or quality of life. No serious adverse events. Academic trial, Netherlands.

     Neurology, 2005· 26 people

8. 08Neuropeptide YPeptideLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 3 completed trials, 20 people given it.5 reported

   20 people given it1 trial1 found nothing

   • found nothingThe only time neuropeptide Y itself has been given to people was a first safety look, not an answer. Twenty six people with PTSD sprayed either the peptide or a dummy up the nose, then swapped a week later, and nobody involved knew the order. Twenty four finished both days. Even the highest dose caused no trouble. One anxiety questionnaire leaned in favour of the peptide after a distressing memory was read aloud. A second anxiety measure showed nothing. The authors ask for more study.

     The numbers The only trial of NPY itself in people resolved here. Twenty six individuals with PTSD were randomised into one of five single ascending dose cohorts of intranasal NPY, from 1.4 mg to 9.6 mg, each dosed with NPY and with placebo a week apart under double-blind crossover conditions, with assessment after a trauma script provocation. Twenty four completed both days. NPY was tolerated to the highest dose. There was a significant treatment by dose interaction favouring NPY on the Beck Anxiety Inventory (F1,20 = 4.95, P = .038) and no significant interaction on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. The authors describe this as suggesting NPY may be associated with anxiolytic effects and call for future studies. Registered as NCT01533519, a phase 1 study, completed.

     International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, 2018· 20 people

9. 09SermorelinPeptideModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 3 completed trials, 139 people given it.8 reported

   19 people given it1 trial1 found nothing

   • found nothingThe hormone response faded while the injections carried on. Nineteen adults aged 55 to 71 injected salt water nightly for a month, then a sermorelin-like peptide for four more months. Growth hormone and its main blood marker rose within two weeks, stayed up for three months, then drifted back to where they started even though dosing never stopped. Muscle, insulin response, mood and libido improved in the men and not the women. Bone density and sleep did not change in anyone.

     The numbers 19 adults aged 55 to 71 on 4 weeks of placebo then 16 weeks of the Nle27 analogue at 10 micrograms/kg nightly: IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 rose within 2 weeks and returned toward baseline by week 16 while dosing continued. Lean mass, insulin sensitivity, well-being and libido improved in men only; bone mineral density and sleep quality did not change.

     Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 1997· 19 people

   What people using it report

   • Among those who tolerate it, the reported effects are sleep quality first, then energy, mood and gradual body composition change, and even favourable accounts question whether that is worth the money and the time.
10. 10ARA-290PeptideLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 5 completed trials, 95 people given it.7 reported

    9 people given it1 trial

    • Every objective measure in this small trial stayed flat. Nine people with swelling at the centre of the retina injected cibinetide daily for three months, and eight finished. Their vision did not improve. Neither did retinal thickness, retinal sensitivity or tear production. The only thing that rose was how they rated their own sight on a questionnaire. Four of the authors are officers and shareholders in the company that owns the drug. Nine people cannot settle the question either way.

      The numbers 9 patients recruited and 8 completed 12 weeks at 4 mg per day: no improvement in visual acuity, central retinal thickness, retinal sensitivity or tear production. Only the vision-related quality of life composite moved. Four authors are officers and shareholders of the sponsor.

      Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2020· 9 people

11. 11DSIPPeptideLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 6 completed trials, 7 people given it.8 reported

    0 people given it1 trial

    • Withdrawal signs eased, and the study cannot prove the drug did it. 107 hospital patients in Geneva coming off alcohol or opioids got vein injections up to six times a day. Most of those assessed had a clear drop in visible signs: racing heart, tremor, sweating and watering eyes. Within one to three days of stopping, anxiety and severe sleeplessness returned in all but 13. Everybody got the drug, nobody was kept in the dark, and no standard scale was used.

      The numbers 107 inpatients in Geneva, 47 with alcohol and 60 with opioid withdrawal, given 25 nmol/kg intravenously up to six times a day for up to six days. Objective withdrawal signs improved markedly in most assessed patients, but anxiety and insomnia relapsed within 24 to 72 hours of stopping in all but 13. Open label, no blinding, no comparison group, no standard scale.

      European Neurology, 1984· number of people not given

12. 12NemifitidePeptideModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 5 completed trials, 177 people given it.

    0 people given it1 trial

    • The result here depends on when you look and who you count. Eighty one adults with depression got a shot of nemifitide at one of two strengths, or a dummy, on weekdays for two weeks. The higher dose beat the dummy at one chosen moment, a week after the shots had stopped. It separated from the dummy only among the more severely depressed, a group carved out afterwards. Nobody quit over side effects. The authors call it a first look rather than an answer. The maker paid.

      The numbers 81 outpatients with major depression randomised to 30 mg/day, 45 mg/day or placebo by subcutaneous injection on weekdays for 2 weeks, followed for 4 more. Primary measure MADRS change. The authors report superiority of 45 mg over placebo at the timepoint of peak effect, one week after treatment ended, and separation from placebo only in the exploratory subgroup with baseline HAM-D above 22. No dropouts for adverse events. Described by its authors as a proof of principle study. Developer funded (Innapharma).

      International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, 2006· number of people not given

13. 13Kisspeptin-54PeptideModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 5 completed trials, 122 people given it.8 reported

    0 people given it1 trial1 found nothing

    • found nothingKisspeptin did not touch anxiety. People were given either kisspeptin or a dummy, and their reproductive hormones rose just as expected. Their anxiety did not change at all. This is about the only study in the whole kisspeptin field that measured something psychological rather than a hormone level, and the answer it came back with was no.

      The numbers A clean randomised controlled negative on a behavioural endpoint. Kisspeptin administration raised reproductive hormones as expected and did not affect anxiety. This is the closest the kisspeptin literature comes to a psychological outcome measure, and the result was null.

      The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2025· number of people not given

14. 14PT-141 with oxytocinBlendLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 3 completed trials, 10 people given it.6 reported

    0 people given it1 trial

    • Oxytocin was tested properly for sex problems in women, and it did not beat a dummy spray. Thirty women used an oxytocin nasal spray or a dummy spray before sex. Each tried both over 22 weeks, and nobody knew which was which. Sexual function scores rose 26% on oxytocin and 31% on the dummy. Distress about sex fell 36% and 45%. Both groups got better, and the dummy matched or beat the drug every time. Thirty women is small, but nothing here points the drug's way.

      The numbers Thirty pre- and postmenopausal women with sexual dysfunction, randomised double-blind placebo-controlled crossover over 22 weeks, 32 IU of intranasal oxytocin or placebo before intercourse. Female Sexual Function Index rose 26% on oxytocin and 31% on placebo, Sexual Quality of Life 144% and 125%, and sexual distress fell 36% and 45%. There was no statistically significant treatment, sequence or interaction effect. Both improved; the drug did not beat placebo.

      Fertility and Sterility, 2015· number of people not given

15. 15Kisspeptin-10PeptideLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 4 completed trials, 44 people given it.8 reported

    nobody was given it1 watch-only study

    • Kisspeptin-54 changed how men's brains responded to sexual and romantic images, and lifted low mood slightly. Twenty-nine healthy men were scanned after receiving the peptide or a dummy. Emotional areas of the brain reacted more strongly to the images on the peptide. This is a brain scan signal and a mood questionnaire, not a change in anybody's sex life or relationship. It also used kisspeptin-54, which is not the kisspeptin-10 sold as a research chemical.

      The numbers Kisspeptin-54, not kisspeptin-10. In 29 healthy men, kisspeptin-54 enhanced limbic responses to sexual and couple-bonding images and reduced negative mood versus vehicle.

      Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2017· 29 peopleobserved only, nobody was given it

    What people using it report

    • What people report noticing is modest and hard for them to attribute. Libido and mood changes come up, and nocturnal erections are described by some as changing in a dose-related way, but the same posters usually note they were adjusting other hormones at the same time and say plainly that they cannot separate the two.

Vitamins, minerals, amino acids and botanicals sold over the counter, held to the same standard.

1. 01InulinSupplementLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 1 completed trial, 39 people given it.6 reported

   39 people given it1 trial

   • Inulin made constipation better, in a small test that ran into a design problem. 39 adults with long-running constipation took 12 g of chicory inulin daily for four weeks and a dummy for four more. Each person tried both in turn without knowing which. Bowel frequency, belly symptoms and quality of life all improved on inulin. Here is the problem. The first treatment was still acting during the second, so the halves cannot be compared. The authors reanalysed the first stretch alone and got the same answer.

     The numbers 39 adults with functional constipation, four weeks of 12 g chicory inulin daily in a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover. Stool frequency, abdominal symptoms and constipation-related quality of life improved relative to placebo, alongside higher relative abundance of butyrate-producing Anaerostipes and Coprococcus. A carry-over effect meant the crossover was compromised, and the authors re-analysed the first period alone as a parallel trial, which supported the same conclusion.

     BMC Gastroenterology, 2025· 39 people

2. 02NicotinamideSupplementModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 4 completed trials, 591 people given it.2 reported

   0 people given it1 trial1 found nothing

   • found nothingThe same team tried to repeat the skin cancer result in transplant patients and it did not work. 158 organ transplant recipients who already had repeated skin cancers took the same dose for a year. New cancers came up 207 times on the vitamin and 210 times on the dummy pill, which is no difference at all. Nothing changed in either cancer type, in sun damaged patches, or in quality of life. The trial closed early because too few people joined, so it is smaller than planned.

     The numbers ONTRANS, the replication attempt by the same group in a higher-risk population. 158 organ-transplant recipients with at least two keratinocyte cancers in the previous 5 years, randomised 1:1 to the same 500 mg twice daily for 12 months. The trial was stopped early for poor recruitment. There were 207 new keratinocyte cancers on nicotinamide and 210 on placebo, rate ratio 1.0 (95 percent CI 0.8 to 1.3, P=0.96). No difference in squamous-cell or basal-cell counts, actinic keratoses or quality of life.

     New England Journal of Medicine, 2023· number of people not given

Approved drugs, biologics and hormones that have been measured for this. They are here because leaving them out would misrepresent the evidence, and they are below the peptides because that is not what most people come here to read.

1. 01HydralazineSmall moleculeStrong. At least two finished studies in people, and at least 1,000 people who took it. 3 completed trials, 1,724 people given it.4 reported

   1,050 people given it1 trial

   • In 1,050 Black patients with advanced heart failure, a fixed-dose pill of hydralazine and a nitrate, on top of modern treatment, cut deaths so clearly the trial was stopped early. 6.2% died on the pill against 10.2% on a dummy pill. Again a two-drug pill, in one specific group of people.

     The numbers 1,050 Black patients with NYHA class III or IV heart failure and dilated ventricles randomised to fixed-dose isosorbide dinitrate plus hydralazine or placebo on standard therapy, stopped early. Death from any cause 6.2% versus 10.2% (HR 0.57, a 43% reduction, p=0.01); first heart failure hospitalisation 16.4% versus 22.4% (p=0.001); quality of life score better (p=0.02).

     The New England Journal of Medicine, 2004· 1,050 people

2. 02DHEAHormoneModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 3 completed trials, 267 people given it.5 reported

   168 people given it2 trials1 found nothing

   • found nothingThe biggest study of DHEA against a dummy pill as an anti-ageing supplement found nothing that mattered. 144 older men and women with low levels took it for two years. The hormone went up and little else changed. Body shape, strength, fitness, blood sugar control and quality of life did not get better. Bone density went up slightly at one spot in men and one in women. These were healthy volunteers with low levels, not patients.

     The numbers 144 people, 87 men and 57 women aged 60 or over with low DHEA-S, randomised double-blind to 2 years of oral DHEA, testosterone (men only) or placebo. DHEA raised serum DHEA-S by a median 3.4 mcg/mL in men and 3.8 in women. No significant effect on body composition, peak oxygen uptake, muscle strength, insulin sensitivity or quality of life. Small gains in bone density at the femoral neck in men and the ultradistal radius in women. No major adverse effects.

     The New England Journal of Medicine, 2006· 144 people

   • In women whose adrenal glands make no DHEA, replacing it helped mood and sexual interest. 24 women took DHEA for four months and a dummy pill for four months. It is a study of people who lack the hormone, not of ageing.

     The numbers 24 women with adrenal insufficiency given 50 mg oral DHEA daily for 4 months and placebo for 4 months in random order, double-blind crossover. DHEA restored serum DHEA, DHEA-S, androstenedione and testosterone to the normal range; SHBG, total and HDL cholesterol fell. Global severity index change -0.18 on DHEA versus +0.03 on placebo (p=0.02); depression and anxiety scores and sexual thoughts, interest and satisfaction improved versus placebo.

     The New England Journal of Medicine, 1999· 24 people

3. 03ErythropoietinBiologicStrong. At least two finished studies in people, and at least 1,000 people who took it. 3 completed trials, 4,641 people given it.6 reported

   0 people given it1 trial

   • Pushing blood counts up to normal in kidney disease harmed people. 1,432 adults with long-term kidney disease were treated towards either a high or a lower blood count target, for about 16 months. Deaths, heart attacks, heart failure hospital stays and strokes were more common in the high target group, 125 events against 97. Quality of life did not improve. Everybody knew which target they were on. The study was stopped, and the company behind the drug ran it.

     The numbers CHOIR: 1,432 people with chronic kidney disease randomised open-label to a haemoglobin target of 13.5 or 11.3 g/dL, median 16 months. The composite of death, myocardial infarction, heart failure hospitalisation and stroke occurred 125 times in the high-target group and 97 times in the low-target group, hazard ratio 1.34, 95 percent confidence interval 1.03 to 1.74, p = 0.03, with no improvement in quality of life. Registry status TERMINATED; sponsor Johnson and Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development.

     New England Journal of Medicine, 2006· number of people not given

4. 04TestosteroneHormoneModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 1 completed trial, 5,246 people given it.10 reported

   nobody was given it1 watch-only study1 found nothing

   • found nothingTestosterone helped older men with sex and did much less for everything else. It raised their levels to what a man in his twenties or thirties would have. Sex drive, sexual activity and erections all clearly got better. Energy did not get better at all. Walking distance only improved when three studies were lumped together, which is a weaker way to find a result. Mood was slightly better. Side effects were no more common than on the dummy gel.

     The numbers The T-Trials. Treatment raised testosterone into the mid-normal range for men aged 19 to 40. Sexual activity, sexual desire and erectile function all improved significantly. Vitality did not improve on the fatigue scale. The proportion improving 6-minute walking distance by at least 50 m did not differ in the Physical Function Trial but did when all three trials were pooled, 20.5% against 12.6%, p = 0.003. Mood and depressive symptoms were slightly better. Adverse event rates were similar.

     New England Journal of Medicine, 2016· number of people not givenobserved only, nobody was given it