Three Complex Truths about Testosterone Therapy
Most people want simple, easy answers: is testosterone therapy “good” or “bad”? Is it safe or not? But the reality is not black and white. Here are three truths about testosterone science: 1. Doing the opposite of what harmed someone will not necessarily treat him. For instance, perhaps a poor diet and lack of exercise […]
What Causes Low Testosterone Levels?
Researchers have proposed different mechanisms that can cause Testosterone levels to drop. For instance: The biochemical signals that go between the testes and the brain can, for different reasons, falter, prompting the brain to biochemically “ask” the testes to limit production of testosterone; Defective testes or gonads can also prompt Low T levels; Medications and […]
When Is Testosterone Therapy Considered Appropriate?
The body strives to maintain its levels of key hormones, like testosterone, through an unconscious process called homeostasis. The body works to keep testosterone, cholesterol levels, sodium, calcium, blood pH and other factors in a constrained, narrow range to prevent problems and maximize fitness. Different men have different genetic programming, so what is considered a […]
The Symptoms and Treatment Options Available for “Low T”
Symptoms of Low Testosterone Different men present different low T symptoms. Common symptoms include: A loss of libido; The inability to maintain an erection; Reduced energy and general lethargy; A decrease in muscle mass; General changes in body composition; Looking more feminine and less masculine; Changes in body fat deposition; Reduction in body hair, as […]
Does Prescribing Testosterone to Older Men with Low T do any Good?
Dr. Sergei Romashkan, a doctor who works at the National Institute on Aging and oversees that agency’s clinical trials, once famously opined: “The problem is that we don’t have any evidence that prescribing testosterone to older men with relatively low testosterone levels does any good.” Meanwhile, the risks of such therapies can be pretty scary. […]
What Science Can Really Say About Testosterone
Many smart people want to see testosterone therapy much more closely regulated. They fear the potential for harm. On the other side, many smart people argue the benefits outweigh the potential risks. For instance, Dr. Abraham Morgentaler, a Men’s Health contributer, authored a book called “Testosterone for Life: Recharge your Vitality, Sex Drive, Muscle Mass, […]
As Simple As Possible…
In addition to discovering and codifying the theory of relativity, physicist Albert Einstein coined some brilliant, pithy statements, including the admonition to make problems as simple as possible… but not any simpler. Testosterone researchers and journalists have failed to heed Einstein, however. One unfortunate consequence of the way in which our society communicates the benefits […]
The “He Hormone”
American culture today is saturated with advertisements for testosterone therapy. Industry analysts expect that the Low T industry may bloom into a $5 billion a year business by 2017. What created and fed this market? Low T historians point to at least one pivotal moment: the publication of a highly influential article on […]
What Testosterone Studies Really Tell Us
A U of T study analyzed records of 8,700 veterans using a procedure known as coronary angiography to examine coronary arteries. The study found that, among the 1,200 men taking testosterone, their risk of suffering a heart attack, stroke or sudden death over a certain period of time was about one-in-four. The other men studied […]
Texas Testosterone Study
Researchers don’t normally like to pull the plug on multi-million dollar studies. But when the death rates among the treatment group due to stroke, heart attack and sudden death spike by 30%, “pulling the plug” makes all the sense in the world. A 2009-2010 study on the health benefits/risks of testosterone therapy in older […]