Not clearly. In men, low testosterone is linked to higher inflammation markers such as CRP. But in the largest placebo trial we found, a year of testosterone gel did not lower CRP or IL-6 in 788 older men. In women and in transgender men, more testosterone was linked to more inflammation, not less.
Why people think testosterone calms inflammation
The idea has real roots. A 2019 review of animal and human studies found that low testosterone in men went along with more pro-inflammatory signals. When testosterone was replaced, some studies saw those signals fall. Fat tissue makes inflammatory signals, and the authors thought testosterone might work by acting on fat.
Large population studies point the same way. In the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, researchers measured blood from 3,041 men aged 45 to 84. Men with higher CRP tended to have lower testosterone. That held even after the team adjusted for other factors. CRP (C-reactive protein) is a protein your liver makes when inflammation is running. In a US national survey, men with low testosterone had 1.81 times the odds of a CRP of 3 mg/L or higher.
Still, the review's own conclusion was careful. Testosterone "may" have anti-inflammatory effects, it said, but how big they are is "debatable."
Does inflammation lower testosterone instead?
Here is the twist. Some evidence says the arrow points the other way.
In 788 older men, a year of testosterone gel did not lower CRP or IL-6 more than a placebo.From a 2018 randomized trial in J Clin Endocrinol Metab
In one study, lean men got a small dose of endotoxin, a piece of bacteria that sets off inflammation. The men had a short burst of inflammation, and then their testosterone dropped. The same paper looked at 75 men. Those with more body fat had more inflammation and lower testosterone. Higher IL-6 also went along with lower free testosterone. IL-6 (interleukin 6) is a signal immune cells use to call for inflammation.
That matters for anyone reading a blood test. If inflammation can pull testosterone down, then a low testosterone number and a high CRP may share a source, such as extra body fat. Fixing the hormone would not fix that.
Does testosterone therapy lower inflammation?
This is where trials help, because they compare testosterone with a placebo.
The biggest test said no. The Testosterone Trials enrolled 788 men aged 65 or older with low testosterone. Half used testosterone gel for 12 months and half used a placebo gel. Testosterone slightly lowered total cholesterol and fasting insulin. It did not change CRP or IL-6 more than placebo.
A smaller trial said yes, in one group. In 44 men with type 2 diabetes and low testosterone, 24 weeks of testosterone shots lowered CRP and TNF-alpha, another inflammation signal. Their bodies also handled insulin about 32% better.
Two more trials found no added benefit. In 64 men with low testosterone from opioid pain medicine, 14 weeks of gel did not change inflammation markers compared with placebo. And in 83 men aged 65 or older with obesity, adding testosterone to a 6-month weight loss and exercise program did not improve the results any further. It cancelled the program's rise in HDL, the "good" cholesterol.
A German registry followed 776 men with low testosterone for up to 11 years, and CRP fell in those on treatment. But the men were not randomly assigned, so other differences could explain it. The authors called for large trials to confirm it.
Is testosterone pro-inflammatory?
Sometimes, it looks that way. A prospective study followed 157 transgender men (people assigned female at birth) who started testosterone shots. Afterward, their IL-6 and TNF-alpha rose, and so did markers of white blood cells sticking to blood vessel walls.
For men, the heart picture is calmer. The TRAVERSE trial gave 5,246 men aged 45 to 80 testosterone gel or a placebo. Heart attacks, strokes and heart deaths happened in 7.0% of the testosterone group and 7.3% of the placebo group. But the testosterone group had more atrial fibrillation (an irregular heartbeat), sudden kidney injury and blood clots in the lungs.
Does testosterone cause inflammation in women?
We found no trials in this search that gave women testosterone and measured inflammation, so the answer rests on links. Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) often have high levels of male-type hormones. Compared with women of the same age and weight, women with PCOS tend to have higher CRP, IL-6 and TNF-alpha. Obesity and high insulin make it worse, and they feed into the hormone imbalance too.
So in women, higher testosterone travels with more inflammation, not less. That fits the transgender men study.
What this means for you
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The bottom line
Low testosterone and high inflammation often show up in the same men. That made testosterone look like a quiet fire blanket. But inflammation can pull testosterone down, and extra body fat feeds both. When trials put the idea to the test, most saw CRP and IL-6 stay put. In women, the link points the other way. Testosterone is a real treatment for a real condition. It is not an inflammation fix. If your CRP is high, look for what is driving it.
Common questions
Does testosterone cause inflammation in women?
It may. We found no trials that gave women testosterone and measured inflammation. But women with PCOS, who often have high male-type hormones, tend to have higher CRP, IL-6 and TNF-alpha than similar women without it. And in 157 transgender men who started testosterone, IL-6 and TNF-alpha rose. So far, the signal in female bodies points toward more inflammation, not less.
Is testosterone pro-inflammatory?
In men, mostly not, but it is not clearly anti-inflammatory either. A year of testosterone gel left CRP and IL-6 unchanged in 788 older men. In transgender men, starting testosterone raised IL-6 and TNF-alpha. Its effect seems to depend on who is taking it and how much their body already makes.
Does testosterone reduce inflammation in women?
There is no good evidence that it does. We found no trials testing testosterone against inflammation in women. The studies we have link higher testosterone in women to more inflammation, as in PCOS, not less. If inflammation is your worry, ask your provider what might be driving it.
Does low testosterone cause inflammation?
They are linked, but nobody knows yet which comes first. In men, low testosterone came with 1.81 times the odds of a high CRP. Yet in one study, a burst of inflammation came first and testosterone dropped after. Extra body fat is tied to both.
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How this article was made
Researched and written from 11 peer-reviewed papers. Our automated check matched every claim against the exact words of its source, confirmed every paper exists in PubMed, and found none retracted. Checked November 2, 2026. Not individually reviewed by a doctor. Photos are illustrative; the people in them are not patients or readers.
Grades run Strong, Moderate, Emerging, Early and Not supported, and the grade decides the words we may use. How we grade evidence · Medical disclaimer
Sources
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