Testosterone

Is there a Male 'Menopause?  The correct term is 'andropause', and, YES, men do go through it.  The symptoms are much less obvious than those experienced by women as they go through menopause but they definitely exist.  Men may experience an increase in evening and morning fatigue, decreased interest in sex and more irritability... just like their menopausal partners.  In the past, men would rely on denial. Each would rationalize that the stress at work and the financial pressures at mid-life are the problem.  But even with vacation and his attentive partner, his erections are less often, less firm, and ejaculation less often.  But being a man, he will rarely discuss this with his friends or go to a physician.  "It must be normal... and ... there is nothing that can be done," are the keystones to his inactivity.  Almost no one talks about it and almost no one does anything about it". 

Testosterone is recognized as the hormone of puberty: it makes muscles for boys and turns them into sexually functional men. But as men age, testosterone's effect regulates muscle development and skin and penile turgor. The decreases in testosterone experienced with time can have profound effects on a man's health.  Testosterone levels are highest in the early twenties. The decrease in serum levels is now occurring at an even earlier age. Up to 50% of all men at 40 now have testosterone levels below what was considered the normal range of 450 ng/dl. Recent studies imply that the pesticides and preservatives in foods and the hormone pellets to fatten up cattle, pork and chicken act as "hormonal disruptors." Based on the low sperm counts, infertility, obesity and low serum testosterone I see in younger men, I fear this is true. 

For most men, the development of testosterone insufficiency is directly related to aging.  With 80 percent of the baby boomers showing decreased levels of testosterone by 50 years of age, testosterone deficiency is a major unrecognized health problem.

Research is now focusing on the increased role estrogens have in the aging male. Elevated levels of estrogens are associated with central (abdominal) obesity, gynecomastia (breast enlargement) and increased cardiovascular mortality.

Risks of Low Testosterone:

Until recently, few men in the United States elected testosterone replacement because of the fear of prostate cancer. In Europe, testosterone replacement is much more common. Recent studies imply that U.S. men are misinformed. Rather, the medical literature documents that low levels of testosterone are directly correlated to:

• Heart disease and myocardial infarction (heart attacks) strokes and cardiovascular disease, prostate cancer (yes, low levels are higher risk),
• Senile dementia, osteoporosis and hip fracture and even diabetes (Lichten, E:  The Testosterone Syndrome).

Replacement of testosterone can be accomplished in many ways from topical creams and injections to implanted slow release pellets.  The goal of testosterone replacement is to restore testosterone levels to more youthful levels while reducing the risks associated with low levels and avoiding the risks of levels that are too high which can result in a higher conversion of testosterone to estrogen  and increase the risk of problems associated with high estrogen levels in men.  Proper replacement of testosterone requires proper training and will provide benefits that will improve a man’s life in both quantity and quality. 

Our new office is conveniently located in the heart of beautiful South Glastonbury, CT. ( click here for directions)

Medical Grade Nutritional Supplements, Based on cutting-edge research and technology, our personalized health care products address your lifestyle needs, health concerns and aesthetic sense.