Before the introduction of erythropoietic proteins, androgen medications, such as testosterone, were considered helpful for improving anemia in certain patients receiving hemodialysis.²² Nowadays, more effective anemia treatments are available. Furthermore, androgen therapy is not widely used because only about half of patients will respond with increases in hemoglobin.²³

Side Effects of Androgen Therapy

Due to lack of evidence and the potentially serious side effects of long-term androgen administration, Canadian treatment guidelines state that the risks for both men and women make androgens generally unacceptable for the treatment of anemia.^{9, 20}