Low Testosterone and Men Over 45

Researchers writing in the International Journal of Clinical Practice, studied the prevalence of hypogonadism (testosterone deficiency) in men age 45 and over and found that nearly 39% of men over 45 suffered from hypogonadism. They noted “Odds ratios for having hypogonadism were significantly higher in men with hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, diabetes, obesity, prostate disease and asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease than in men without these conditions.”

Mulligan T, Frick MF, Zuraw QC, Stemhagen A, McWhirter C. Prevalence of hypogonadism in males aged at least 45 years: the HIM study. Int J Clin Pract. 2006 Jun 2

Risk Factors for Testosterone Loss in Aging Men

Ponholzer A, Plas E, Schatzl G, Struhal G, Brossner C, Mock K, Rauchenwald M, Madersbacher S. Relationship between testosterone serum levels and lifestyle in aging men. Aging Male. 2005 Sep-Dec;8(3):190-3.

From the article abstract: “The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between serum levels of testosterone and free testosterone to lifestyle in aging males. Methods. Men between 45 and 85 years were assessed regarding body mass index (BMI), nicotine and alcohol consumption, stress level, physical and social activity, and sleeping quality by a self-administered questionnaire.”

The researchers concluded that the following were risk factors:
“This prospective study of 375 men aged 45 to 85 years confirms the correlation between age, BMI and smoking with serum levels of testosterone and free testosterone, whereas the investigated variety of lifestyle factors did not show a significant association to serum androgen levels.”

Older Men and Testosterone

This study is sponsored by University Hospital of North Norway
From the study abstract: “Male hypogonadism is a clinical situation characterized by a low serum testosterone level in combination with a diversity of symptoms and signs such as reduced libido and vitality, decreased muscle mass, increased fat mass and depression. Similar symptoms in combination with subnormal testosterone levels are seen in some elderly men. Similar symptoms in combination with subnormal testosterone levels are seen in some elderly men. Low testosterone levels are associated with known cardiovascular risk factors, and men with diabetes and stroke have lower testosterone levels than healthy men. Even though several publications have suggested that testosterone treatment in hypogonadal men may have beneficial effects, it is still uncertain if testosterone substitution in the aging man is indicated. Despite this uncertainty the sale of testosterone has increased enormously the last few years.

We hypothesize that older men with subnormal testosterone levels have a varying degree of dysfunction/symptoms both physically and mentally, and that these dysfunction/symptoms can be improved with testosterone treatment.

Read more about this study at clinicaltrial.gov

Testosterone’s Favorable Effects on an Important Metabolic Component of Chronic Heart Failure

Researchers writing in the European Journal of Heart Failure say that testosterone improves fasting insulin sensitivity in men with chronic heart failure and may also increase lean body mass, these data suggest a favorable effect of testosterone on an important metabolic component of CHF.

Malkin CJ, Jones TH, Channer KS. The effect of testosterone on insulin sensitivity in men with heart failure. Eur J Heart Fail. 2006 Jul 5

Other Articles
Researchers in Sweden writing in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, say “not only estrogens but also androgens are of importance for bone health in elderly men.”

Older Men and Testosterone
From the study abstract: “Male hypogonadism is a clinical situation characterized by a low serum testosterone level in combination with a diversity of symptoms and signs such as reduced libido and vitality, decreased muscle mass, increased fat mass and depression.

Testosterone replacement therapy and the risk of prostate cancer
The article says “The belief that testosterone increases the risk of prostate cancer is so widely accepted that study after study that tries to show it and can’t keeps getting repeated over and over,” says Dr. Abraham Morgentaler, a Boston urologist and author of the 2004 review. “People don’t believe it.”

Risk factors for testosterone loss in aging men
“The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between serum levels of testosterone and free testosterone to lifestyle in aging males”

Testosterone, Diabetes, and Cardiovascular Disease

New research says Testosterone may have a protective role in the development of metabolic syndrome and subsequent diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease in aging men.

Svartberg J. Epidemiology: testosterone and the metabolic syndrome Int J Impot Res. 2006 Jul 20.

From the study abstract:
Low levels of testosterone, hypogonadism, have several common features with the metabolic syndrome.

In a population-based health survey, testosterone levels were inversely associated with anthropometrical measurements, and the lowest levels of total and free testosterone were found in men with the most pronounced central obesity.

Total testosterone was inversely associated with systolic blood pressure, and men with hypertension had lower levels of both total and free testosterone.

Furthermore, men with diabetes had lower testosterone levels compared to men without a history of diabetes, and an inverse association between testosterone levels and glycosylated hemoglobin was found.

Thus, there are strong associations between low levels of testosterone and the different components of the metabolic syndrome.

In addition, an independent association between low testosterone levels and the metabolic syndrome itself has recently been presented in both cross-sectional and prospective population-based studies.

Thus, testosterone may have a protective role in the development of metabolic syndrome and subsequent diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease in aging men. However, clinical trials are needed to confirm this assumption.

 From Our Booklet: Age Management

TESTOSTERONE FOR MEN
The medicinal value of testicles have been documented in the Bible, the writings of the ancient Egyptians and from India. Indeed, nearly every ancient culture believed that the testicles held some form of masculine power.

The use of testosterone as a means of restoring vitality can be traced in the modern era to the work of famed medical researcher Charles Edouard Brown-Séquard (1817-1894). Brown-Séquard had been hailed as a medial pioneer for his ability to treat difficult and previously untreatable disorders of the nervous system. At the age of 72, when he noticed his declining vitality, he injected himself with the extracts of crushed testicles from dogs and guinea pigs and increased his physical strength and intellectual abilities and announced his results to his colleagues.

Brown-Séquard’s work sparked an influx of research and medical use of testicles, however, technology could not, at that time, substantiate his claims. Read more

Testosterone and Reduction in Cardiovascular Risk

Researchers writing in the European Journal of Endocrinology say that “Testosterone replacement therapy reduces insulin resistance and improves glycaemic control in hypogonadal men with type 2 diabetes. Improvements in glycaemic control, insulin resistance, cholesterol and visceral adiposity together represent an overall reduction in cardiovascular risk.”

Kapoor D, Goodwin E, Channer KS, Jones TH. Testosterone replacement therapy improves insulin resistance, glycaemic control, visceral adiposity and hypercholesterolaemia in hypogonadal men with type 2 diabetes. Eur J Endocrinol. 2006 Jun;154(6):899-906.

Testosterone replacement therapy and the risk of prostate cancer. Is there a link?

An article by Susan Brink of the Los Angeles Times recently appeared in newspapers around the country discussing the link between testosterone and prostate cancer.

The article says “The belief that testosterone increases the risk of prostate cancer is so widely accepted that study after study that tries to show it and can’t keeps getting repeated over and over,” says Dr. Abraham Morgentaler, a Boston urologist and author of the 2004 review. “People don’t believe it.”

Here is a press release from the Harvard Medical School.

“Boston–January 2004, Harvard Medical School affiliate Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center–A retrospective analysis by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center published in The New England Journal of Medicine found no causal relationship between testosterone replacement and prostate cancer or heart disease risk. The comprehensive review of 72 studies, addresses the current controversy about testosterone replacement therapy and its potential health risks to men.”

Testosterone for Men Studies and News Items

Testosterone replacement therapy and the risk of prostate cancer
The article says “The belief that testosterone increases the risk of prostate cancer is so widely accepted that study after study that tries to show it and can’t keeps getting repeated over and over,” says Dr. Abraham Morgentaler, a Boston urologist and author of the 2004 review. “People don’t believe it.”

Testosterone and Reduction in Cardiovascular Risk
Researchers writing in the European Journal of Endocrinology say that “Testosterone replacement therapy reduces insulin resistance and improves glycaemic control in hypogonadal men with type 2 diabetes. Improvements in glycaemic control, insulin resistance, cholesterol and visceral adiposity together represent an overall reduction in cardiovascular risk.”

Testosterone, Diabetes, and Cardiovascular Disease
New research says Testosterone may have a protective role in the development of metabolic syndrome and subsequent diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease in aging men.

Testosterone’s favorable effects on an important metabolic component of chronic heart failure
Researchers writing in the European Journal of Heart Failure say that testosterone improves fasting insulin sensitivity in men with chronic heart failure and may also increase lean body mass, these data suggest a favorable effect of testosterone on an important metabolic component of CHF.

Low Testosterone and men over 45
Researchers writing in the International Journal of Clinical Practice, studied the prevalence of hypogonadism (testosterone deficiency) in men age 45 and over.

Androgen Deficiency, Metabolic Syndrome and Non-Obese Men
Researchers writing in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism report that “Low SHBG, total testosterone, or AD (Androgen Deficiency) may be early markers of MetS (Metabolic Syndrome) in nonobese men.

More Body Mass…Diminished Testosterone
Researchers writing in the medical journal Archives of Andrology say total testosterone and SHBG concentrations proportionally diminished with both the increase of BMI (body mass index) and insulin resistance index.

Low testosterone levels – higher risk of anemia
Researchers writing in the Archives of Internal Medicine say that Older men and women with low testosterone levels have a higher risk of anemia.

Low Testosterone and the Pro-Inflammatory State in Aging Men
Researchers writing in the Journal of Endocrinological Investigation “suggest that a close relationship exists between the development of a pro-inflammatory state and the decline in Testosterone levels, two trends that are often observed in aging men”

Testosterone Replacement Therapy and the Risk of Prostate Cancer. Is there a link?
Writing in the Canadian Journal of Urology, Researcher Abraham Morgentaler of the Division of Urology, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, says that “there is an absence of scientific data supporting the concept that higher testosterone levels are associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer.

Testosterone’s favorable effects on an important metabolic component of chronic heart failure
Researchers writing in the European Journal of Heart Failure say that testosterone improves fasting insulin sensitivity in men with chronic heart failure and may also increase lean body mass, these data suggest a favorable effect of testosterone on an important metabolic component of CHF.

Testosterone, Alzheimer’s, Mood and Quality of Life
A study suggets that that testosterone replacement therapy improved overall quality of life in patients with Alzheimers Disease.

Estradiol, Testosterone, and Hip Fractures in Men
Researchers writing in The American Journal of Medicine say “Men with low estradiol levels are at an increased risk for future hip fracture. Men with both low estradiol and low testosterone levels seem to be at greatest risk for hip fracture.” Read more

Testosterone and Prostate Cancer
Is there a link between testosterone and prostate cancer?
According to a new study, “there is not now-nor has there ever been-a scientific basis for the belief that Testosterone causes pCA (Prostate Cancer) to grow.”

Testosterone and Prostate Cancer
A new paper published in the medical journal Current Treatment Options in Oncology says that “there is a varied and extensive literature indicating that TRT (testosterone replacement therapy) does not pose any increased risk of PCa (Prostate Cancer) growth in men with or without prior treatment.”

Low testosterone levels are associated with coronary artery disease
Researchers say that low testosterone levels are associated with
coronary artery disease in male patients with angina.

Low Testosterone Levels and Mortality
Researchers writing in the Annals of Internal Medicine examined “whether low testosterone levels are a risk factor for mortality in male veterans.”

Subclinical Hypothyroidism and Testosterone Deficiency
Researchers writing in the International Journal of Andrology say that there is “a direct association between subclinical hypothyroidism and hypoandrogenaemia. Testosterone deficiency and its symptoms should be kept in view while managing subclinical hypothyroidism in male patients.”

Testosterone and Prostate
Research published in the Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology says “Data from all published prospective studies on circulating level of total and free testosterone do not support the hypothesis that high levels of circulating androgens are associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer.”

Testosterone and Cognitive Function
A new study in the European Journal of Endocrinology says “Low endogenous levels of testosterone may be related to reduced cognitive ability, and testosterone substitution may improve some aspects of cognitive ability.”

Testosterone and Muscle Strength in the Elderly
Researchers writing in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society suggest that testosterone/DHT therapy may produce a moderate increase in muscle strength in men.

Testosterone and the Aging Male
A published report in the medical journal Aging Male says “The wide-ranging benefits of testosterone therapy in young and old men are clear and it appears that the route of administration (intramuscular, oral, or transdermal) does not alter this fact, but future work could illustrate even more profound effects of testosterone (e.g., in reducing cardiovascular risk) that could result in its recommended use in a wider range of patients.”

Testosterone-insulin sensitivity and men with heart failure
Researchers writing in the European Journal of Heart Failure say “Testosterone improves fasting insulin sensitivity in men with CHF and may also increase lean body mass, these data suggest a favourable effect of testosterone on an important metabolic component of CHF”

Testosterone, Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome
Recent research in the International Journal of Impotence Research say testosterone may have a protective role in the development of metabolic syndrome and subsequent diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease in aging men. However, clinical trials are needed to confirm this assumption.

Hypoandrogen-metabolic syndrome in men
Researchers writing in the International Journal of Clinical Practice say Men with (Hypoandrogen-metabolic syndrome) and symptoms of androgen deficiency may be managed by, in the absence of contraindications, testosterone replacement therapy along with weight reduction and other measures to normalise glucose, lipid and blood pressure control.

Testosterone and Ischemic Heart Disease
Researchers writing in Cardiovascular & Hematological Disorders Drug Targets examined lower testosterone levels in patients with ischemic heart disease.

Testosterone For Men

TESTOSTERONE FOR MEN
The medicinal value of testicles have been documented in the Bible, the writings of the ancient Egyptians and from India. Indeed, nearly every ancient culture believed that the testicles held some form of masculine power.

The use of testosterone as a means of restoring vitality can be traced in the modern era to the work of famed medical researcher Charles Edouard Brown-Séquard (1817-1894). Brown-Séquard had been hailed as a medial pioneer for his ability to treat difficult and previously untreatable disorders of the nervous system. At the age of 72, when he noticed his declining vitality, he injected himself with the extracts of crushed testicles from dogs and guinea pigs and increased his physical strength and intellectual abilities and announced his results to his colleagues.

Brown-Séquard’s work sparked an influx of research and medical use of testicles, however, technology could not, at that time, substantiate his claims.

In 1935 Dutch researchers were able to isolate and create a synthetic form of testosterone. Doctors prescribed it in males with hypogonadism—where levels of testosterone are so low it prevents normal sexual development. Older men suffering from impotence were also treated. A few years later, testosterone supplementation for these disorders became “mainstream.”

What are the potential signs of Testosterone deficiency in men?

1. Diminished Libido
2. Erectile Dysfunction
3. Fatigue
4. Muscle Weakness
5. Bone Density Loss, with increased fracture risk
6. Decrease in Endurance, Stamina
7. Loss of Body Hair
8. Depression
9. Mood Disorders
10. Obesity or increase in fat mass
11. Hypertension
Testosterone Supplementation
Testosterone supplementation has received a fair share of “bad press.” Mostly due to health problems (sterility, coronary artery disease, liver damage, and brain tumors), caused in young men and women who should not be taking testosterone supplementation, but do so at super-physiological doses, to enhance athletic performance. Indeed, testosterone is part of the “Steroid Crisis” affecting amateur and professional sports.

There is very little evidence to support that testosterone supplementation to restore levels lost to aging can cause health problems. Numerous research supports the opposite. Study participants and researchers noted gained muscle, a slowdown in bone loss, increased sexual desire, and better cognitive skills.

Drops in testosterone levels begin in men after the age of 30 and its effects are described as “male menopause” or andropause when problematic.

The recognition that men can suffer from sex hormone deficiency just as women do, and be treated for this deficiency in the same manner as women prescribed hormonal supplementation have lead to an explosion in the demand for testosterone supplementation.

Testosterone Supplementation Risks
It is important to understand that not all men will benefit from Testosterone supplementation. The goals, realities, and risks of Testosterone supplementation should be discussed, at length, with your physician prior to onset of treatment.

Testosterone Supplementation and Prostate Cancer
Men taking testosterone supplementation should have twice yearly PSA tests and once yearly manual examination of their prostate gland. No evidence suggests that testosterone supplementation causes prostate cancer. In fact, studies show a higher incidence of prostate cancer in men with a lower baseline level of testosterone. Have you ever heard of a teen age male (with the highest testosterone levels) having prostate cancer? Studies do suggest that in the presence of existing prostate cancer, testosterone supplementation may accelerate tumor growth. It also appears that there is an association of high estrogen levels and prostate cancer.

Warnings:
Any hormone supplementation can adversely effect other hormone levels.

Testosterone supplementation must be monitored by a physician through blood testing. Very high levels of testosterone can lead to severe and dangerous health problems.

Men who take too much Testosterone may can shut down production of DHEA and other sex hormones.

The result is the frequently seen side effects of:
1. Testicular shrinkage
2. Impotence
3. The development through increased estrogen production of breasts (gynecomastia).
4. Male Pattern Baldness
5. Infertility

Other complications may include:
1. Fluid retention (swelling)
2. Heart Problems through increasing hardening of the arteries.
3. Increase in body hair
4. Acne
5. Liver problems
6. Kidney disease
7. High Blood Pressure
8. Gallstones

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