View article

Clomiphene is a selective estrogen receptor modulator used to induce ovulation by increasing luteinizing (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels. Since the 1970’s, it has been used in males with hypogonadism as an alternative to testosterone therapy as it does not suppress the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.

While there have been systematic reviews looking at the effectiveness of clomiphene, we sought to better characterize the average testosterone levels, as well as the rate of deep venous thrombosis (DVT), myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and polycythemia in clomiphene vs. testosterone users.

We performed a retrospective chart review for 537 men with a hypogonadism diagnosis that were seen by two urology providers at our center. Of these 537 patients, 84 presented with prior use or were prescribed …