Testosterone Gel Cuts Dangerous Belly Fat After Hip Fracture

Researchers at the University of Connecticut have found a way to help older women fight the most dangerous type of body fat during one of the most vulnerable times in their lives.

Hip fractures devastate the lives of older women, occurring nearly three times more often than in men and often leading to permanent loss of independence. Recovery brings a sharp drop in mobility and a frustrating increase in visceral fat, the kind that wraps around internal organs and increases the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Traditional weight loss approaches remove fat everywhere, including muscle that older adults desperately need to maintain. Assistant professor Jacob Earp knew there had to be a better way.

His team studied 66 women over 65 recovering from recent hip fractures. All participants completed therapeutic exercise programs, but only one group also received a topical testosterone gel. After six months, something remarkable happened.

While overall body fat stayed the same in both groups, women using testosterone showed lower levels of visceral fat. The control group actually gained visceral fat, which doctors normally expect during recovery.

"If you have injury and just generally as we age, we expect an increase in visceral fat," Earp explains. "This really bucked that trend and caused selective reduction of fat in that visceral compartment."

The treatment targeted the problem at its source. As people age, hormones shift where fat gets stored in the body. Testosterone plays a key role in this distribution, and the topical gel helped redirect fat away from dangerous areas without reducing the subcutaneous fat the body needs or the muscle critical for recovery.

The Bright Side

This targeted approach addresses what makes hip fractures so devastating beyond the broken bone itself. When older adults lose mobility, they often lose independence and face higher risks of further health complications. Any intervention that improves recovery outcomes could dramatically boost quality of life.

The study, published in Obesity Pillars, opens the door to rethinking how doctors approach recovery in older patients. Instead of blanket weight loss strategies that strip away muscle along with fat, selective treatments could preserve strength while reducing health risks.

Graduate students Davina Robinson and Carlos Rehbein worked alongside Earp on the research, which focused on one of the most vulnerable patient populations. Most women never fully recover from hip fractures, making even modest improvements potentially life changing.

For the millions of older women at risk of hip fractures, this research offers something previous treatments couldn't: a way to heal smarter, not just lighter.