Are you wondering what low testosterone treatment can actually do for your health and well being? There is a fair amount of misinformation about low testosterone treatment, what it can do, might do, and actually does do. This article will help you navigate through the truth and myths about this treatment. Lets look at what we think are the top 5 myths of low testosterone treatment.
1. I'm Too Young to Have Low Testosterone
Age does play a big role in your testosterone levels and the older you are the more likely you are to have low testosterone. In fact testosterone levels decline by 1% every year starting at age 35-40. However, you can have low testosterone at any age given the right
circumstances. For instance, we have seen males as young at 24 with actual low testosterone. What are the circumstance that create this at such a young age? Typically it is recreational drug use/abuse, chronic alcohol use, certain prescription medications (anti psychotics and others), previous anabolic steroid use. They all interrupt the pituitary glands production of LH and FSH. Sometimes this interruption is temporary and sometimes it is permanent but there is no way to know in advanced one way or another.
Just because you are aging doesn't mean you have low testosterone but if you are over 30 and you have all the symptoms of low testosterone chances are it is low. Just cause it is low doesn't mean you have to take testosterone. If you are having all the symptoms of low t, get yourself tested. There are many treatment options available to you and many are probably more affordable than you might think.
2. Low Testosterone is Not Very Common
This is myth number two and reflects a common assumption that if I feel okay there isn't a problem. Most guys are reluctant to go to the doctor to begin with and even fewer will mention that they have fatigue, erectile dysfunction, or depression. Typically when it gets bad enough their wife or significant other will encourage them to do something. Of all the guys that get checked in our office about 75% are low or low normal by any conservative measure. Once they start treatment, they usually do feel a lot better. A lot of times what we see happening is that they don't know how bad they feel until they feel good again.
3. Why Do So Many Guys Have Low T?
Outside of the decline with age, and the reasons mentioned above, poor diet and lifestyle are also a very common cause for low testosterone. For example, testosterone levels are inversely correlated with higher central abdominal adipose tissue (belly fat). Since diet and lifestyle are key to weight loss, these contribute to low testosterone when abdominal fat is present. Along the same vein is the fact that resistance exercise or muscle building increases testosterone levels. So weight loss and muscle building increase testosterone levels when men are overweight and have low muscle mass to start with.
Stress levels can also alter testosterone levels through interrupting hormones produced in the brain. High stress levels cause the body to make more cortisol. Many studies have found a negative relationship between cortisol and testosterone levels. So when cortisol is high testosterone is low and this occurs more so with free testosterone (or bio-available testosterone). Leutenizing hormone is produced from the pituitary gland and stimulates testosterone to be produced from the testes. One theory with high stress is that the hormones produced during high stress times inhibit the connection between the hypothalamus and pituitary causing decrease in the leutenizing hormone mentioned above.
Another reason so many men have low testosterone is from environmental toxicity such as pthalates in plastics. Several studies have found that pthalates exhibit an anti-androgenic effect and many of us are exposed to an excess of these pthalates without even knowing about it. This article explains in more detail, exposure to environmental toxins like pthalates.
4. I'm Taking An Over the Counter Testosterone Booster So I Should be Fine
There are several "testosterone boosters" on the market that are being advertised to increase your testosterone levels. Some of them include Maca root, Deer Antler, Tribulis terrestris, and others. While there are a few studies supporting their use, most research finds no benefit or small improvements. In the studies that do show improvement the main thing they seem to do with regard to testosterone is decrease sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). SHBG is the carrier protein for testosterone and when bound to testosterone it inhibits testosterone binding to cell receptors and having an effect on the cell. The effects we are looking for with testosterone happen as a result of it binding to the cell receptors. In the cases where testosterone boosters decrease the SHBG, the results are modest at best.
If the effect you are looking for is more related to mood and libido, there is more possibility here. Maca root, for instance has been linked with improved mood and sexual desire.
5. Low Testosterone Only Effects Sex Drive
Treating low testosterone does have a potent effect on sex drive but its effect on the body go way beyond sex drive and erectile function. For instance, testosterone helps with blood pressure through the same mechanism it helps improve erectile function. Despite what popular media might say, research shows that optimizing male testosterone levels improves almost every cardiovascular risk factor including: blood pressure, HDL and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting glucose, waist to hip ratio, and endothelial function.
Testosterone also crosses the blood-brain-barrier having a potent neuropsychiatric effect. Too little testosterone and most men will feel depressed, unmotivated, and possibly even anxious. Normalizing testosterone levels can have mood stabilizing effect and improve anxiety, depression, and even sleep.
6. I Use Viagra So I Don't Need Testosterone Therapy?
If you are using erectile dysfunction medications and you have low t, you should consider using testosterone too. Viagra and other erectile dysfunction medications work better in men with normal testosterone levels as they have a synergistic effect.
Viagra and other ED medications work by dilating the blood vessels in the penis. They do this by keeping a specific molecule, called cyclic GMP (cGMP), around in the vessels. This molecule causes dilation of the arteries when nitric oxide binds to the receptor. In normal circumstances cGMP is normal broken down rather quickly. Viagra works by preventing the breakdown. Testosterone helps promote healthy endothelial cells that line the vessels which produce cGMP and nitric oxide. It does this in the cells of the vessels in the penis and the rest of the body as well.
Chances are if you need to use Viagra, testosterone can further improve your erectile function. Additionally it can help the endothelial cells throughout the vessels of your body improving overall cardiovascular function.
Summary
As men age there is a natural decline in testosterone levels but even younger men can have Low T. Treating low testosterone at any age can improve many functions in the body not just libido. Testosterone replacement can help you feel a lot better but its not a substitute for good diet and lifestyle choices. If you think you might have low testosterone, get the facts about this treatment. If you have questions, leave a message in the comment section below or come in for a free consultation.
