Testosterone is a vital sex hormone that plays an important role in puberty.
In men, not only regulates sex drive (libido), it also helps regulate bone mass, fat distribution, muscle mass and strength, and the production of red blood cells and sperm. Testosterone isn’t exclusively a male hormone—women produce small amounts as well.
As men age, they often produce somewhat less masculine hormone, especially compared to years of peak testosterone production during adolescence and early adulthood. Normal testosterone production ranges widely, and it is unclear what amount of decline or how low a level of testosterone will cause adverse effects.
In fact, many of the changes that take place in older men often are incorrectly attributed to decreasing testosterone levels. For instance, some men experiencing erectile difficulty (impotence) may be tempted to blame it on lowered testosterone, but many cases of erectile problems are due to circulatory problems.
Testosterone is a vital sex hormone that plays an important role in puberty.
More research is needed to learn what effects HRT may have in healthy older men without these extreme deficiencies.
The Anti Aging Institute of the Americas is investigating the role of hormone production therapy in delaying or preventing frailty and helping with other age-related health issues.
For men whose bodies make very little or no testosterone replacement may offer benefits. FDA-approved testosterone drugs come in different forms, including patches, injections, and topical gels. Men whose testes (the reproductive glands that make testosterone and sperm) have been damaged or whose pituitary glands have been harmed or destroyed by trauma, infections, or tumors may also be prescribed testosterone.
Treatment with masculine hormone can help men with exceptionally low levels maintain strong muscles and bones and increase their sex drive. It is unclear if men who are at the lower end of the normal range for production would benefit from treatment.
In recent years, Spyros Mezitis, MD, PhD, has found himself talking to a lot more male patients about low testosterone, a diagnosis he says is becoming increasingly common.
“More men are getting older, and men are more open about talking about erectile dysfunction,” Mezitis, an endocrinologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, tells WebMD.
On the one hand, increased diagnosis of low hormone is driven by an aging population, less stigma, and more precise tests. But there’s another big reason why men come to Mezitis’ office for a masculine hormone test.
“Men are bombarded by media, by advertising campaigns — ‘Don’t feel well? Ask your doctor about low testosterone,'” he says.
They come in saying they feel excessively fatigued, weaker, depressed, and that they have lost their sex drive — all common symptoms of a drop in testosterone.
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