Current Evidence on Late-Onset Hypogonadism in Primary Care: A Scoping Review Protocol
4 affiliations
- 1Department of General Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
- 2Kato & Namiki-dori Clinic, Okayama 702-8058, Japan
- 3Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Ube 755-8505, Japan
- 4Faculty of Health Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
Abstract
Fatigue, loss of energy, low sexual desire and erectile dysfunction are common in primary care, and late-onset hypogonadism (LOH), defined according to symptoms and low testosterone levels, is one possible explanation. Its symptoms are non-specific, and terminology and diagnostic thresholds vary between guidelines. Testosterone prescribing has risen in the UK, yet men requiring treatment may remain unidentified. Evidence has primarily been derived from specialist settings and intervention trials, and primary care evidence has not been systematically mapped. The aim of this scoping review is to map evidence on the frequency and clinical presentation of LOH in primary care; its recognition, assessment and management; and associated barriers and facilitators, and to identify evidence gaps relevant to primary care practice to inform future research. This review will follow JBI principles, and the outcomes will be reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). This review will cover primary care and general practice settings internationally. PubMed, CINAHL and Web of Science Core Collection will be searched for peer-reviewed, original research published in English from 2000 onwards. Two reviewers will independently screen titles/abstracts and full texts, with disagreements resolved by discussion or a third reviewer. Data will be extracted by one reviewer and verified by another. Descriptive and basic qualitative content analyses will be conducted. This review will clarify evidence and identify knowledge gaps concerning LOH in primary care, informing future research and guidance.
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BibTeX
@article{tashiro2026current,
title = {{Current Evidence on Late-Onset Hypogonadism in Primary Care: A Scoping Review Protocol}},
author = {Naohiro Tashiro and Yuki Otsuka and Yoshiaki Soejima and Yohei Masuda and Kazuki Tokumasu and Yasue Sakurada and Nobuyoshi Matsuki and Eiko Mitsuda and Koji Shiraishi and Mikiya Nakatsuka and Fumio Otsuka},
journal = {Journal of Clinical Medicine},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/jcm15207776},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15/20/7776},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Current Evidence on Late-Onset Hypogonadism in Primary Care: A Scoping Review Protocol
AU - Naohiro Tashiro
AU - Yuki Otsuka
AU - Yoshiaki Soejima
AU - Yohei Masuda
AU - Kazuki Tokumasu
AU - Yasue Sakurada
AU - Nobuyoshi Matsuki
AU - Eiko Mitsuda
AU - Koji Shiraishi
AU - Mikiya Nakatsuka
AU - Fumio Otsuka
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Journal of Clinical Medicine
DO - 10.3390/jcm15207776
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15/20/7776
AB - Fatigue, loss of energy, low sexual desire and erectile dysfunction are common in primary care, and late-onset hypogonadism (LOH), defined according to symptoms and low testosterone levels, is one possible explanation. Its symptoms are non-specific, and terminology and diagnostic thresholds vary between guidelines. Testosterone prescribing has risen in the UK, yet men requiring treatment may remain unidentified. Evidence has primarily been derived from specialist settings and intervention trials, and primary care evidence has not been systematically mapped. The aim of this scoping review is to map evidence on the frequency and clinical presentation of LOH in primary care; its recognition, assessment and management; and associated barriers and facilitators, and to identify evidence gaps relevant to primary care practice to inform future research. This review will follow JBI principles, and the outcomes will be reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). This review will cover primary care and general practice settings internationally. PubMed, CINAHL and Web of Science Core Collection will be searched for peer-reviewed, original research published in English from 2000 onwards. Two reviewers will independently screen titles/abstracts and full texts, with disagreements resolved by discussion or a third reviewer. Data will be extracted by one reviewer and verified by another. Descriptive and basic qualitative content analyses will be conducted. This review will clarify evidence and identify knowledge gaps concerning LOH in primary care, informing future research and guidance.
SN - 2077-0383
ER -