NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Older men with naturally higher levels of testosterone seem to perform better on tests of mental abilities than men with lower levels of the "male hormone," researchers have found.

According to their study, men with high levels of "bioavailable" testosterone--a type of "free" testosterone that is not bound to protein--performed a bit better on such tests than men with lower levels. The investigators found no link between total testosterone and mental performance.

The findings are published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

In the study, 310 men with an average age of 73 years took three tests of "cognition"--a catchall term including memory, learning, language and other mental abilities.

"The men in the study with higher levels of bioavailable testosterone--the testosterone that can reach the brain--did significantly better on these cognitive tests than men with lower levels," said lead author Dr. Kristine Yaffe of the University of California, San Francisco, in a prepared statement.

Nonetheless, Yaffe does not encourage men to go out and start taking testosterone to improve their minds.

"Our study only looked at natural testosterone levels and so it doesn't prove that testosterone supplements can prevent cognitive decline," she warned.

Hormone replacement therapy for men remains controversial. Some researchers suspect extra testosterone could spur the growth of prostate cancer, and the illicit use of the hormones by bodybuilders and other athletes has also tainted its image.

SOURCE: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2002;50:707-712.

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