Exercise is far more effective at improving vascular function in middle-aged and older men than testosterone treatment, an Australian study shows.

The finding suggests that although advancing age and low testosterone levels are both associated with endothelial dysfunction in men, exogenous testosterone is unlikely to reverse this decline, the researchers say.

The study is one of the few designed to assess the combined impact of testosterone and exercise on measures of vascular health and suggested “caution should be applied” when prescribing testosterone if the primary aim was improved artery function, they said.

Writing in Hypertension, the University of Western Australia-led team compared the effects of both testosterone and physical training on vascular function in 78 community-dwelling men aged 50 to 70 years over a 12-week period.