Testosterone, aging, and the mind

Testosterone therapy: Potential benefits and risks as you age

Natural testosterone is a steroid — an anabolic-androgenic steroid. “Anabolic” refers to muscle building, and “androgenic” refers to increased male sex characteristics. How long you’ll need therapy can vary, depending on the symptom(s) you’re trying to treat. For example, if you have pituitary disease, you may need therapy for the rest of your life.

For example, abnormal testosterone results may be caused by polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), cancer of the ovary or adrenal gland, or a pituitary gland disorder. In some men, estrogen levels will increase as testosterone levels increase. Men naturally need some estrogen, one of the main sex hormones that women have, in the body for bone health and other body functions. But too much estrogen can cause conditions such as gynecomastia (male breast tissue).

A testosterone weight loss deficiency in the womb can affect the development of a male fetus. It can also affect puberty and may slow or stop a person’s growth or development. Levels that are just slightly low aren’t a cause for concern by themselves. But if you have other symptoms, you’ll want to see your doctor. “Everyone agrees that if you have a phenomenally low level, you’d benefit from treatment.

Many testosterone formulations are available (Table 459,60 ), and no formulation has superior clinical effects. The selection of formulation requires discussion about administration route, adverse effects, and cost. Testosterone preparations are FDA Schedule III controlled substances that are subject to diversion and misuse.

If you have questions or concerns about your testosterone levels, you should see your healthcare provider. They can perform blood tests to measure your testosterone levels and discuss treatment plans. In a 2021 study, zinc supplementation increased testosterone levels and improved sexual function in postmenopausal women with low blood levels of zinc. Testosterone is an androgen steroid hormone and the principal male sex hormone, but it is also produced in females. In men, testosterone plays a key role in development of the male reproductive system and promotes secondary sexual characteristics such as facial and chest hair and upper body muscular build. In women, testosterone is secreted in the ovaries and adrenal glands and helps create estrogen and may help regulate how eggs develop in the ovaries. The most serious long-term risks of testosterone therapy are prostate diseases, both benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer.

Men evaluated by primary care physicians had a single lab draw prior to 10a.m. Early morning samples from each subject’s most recent and previous 3 visits as well as those from 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 years prior were analyzed (3,565 samples total with a mean of 4 samples per patient). While there are three injectable drugs, two of them are short-acting and one is long-acting. Finally, testosterone pellets are also available in branded form, with no generic agents currently available. An updated evidence search was subsequently performed in 2022.

In other cases, the problem originates in the pituitary gland of the brain; causes include tumors (almost all benign), head trauma, brain surgery, various medications, some hereditary disorders, severe malnutrition, and chronic illnesses. When men (and, for that matter, women) think about the powers of testosterone, they are not likely to consider mental processes. Indeed, the male hormone has much more obvious roles in a man’s body. Still, new research suggests that testosterone may have a surprising role in masculine mentality. This treatment is called testosterone replacement therapy, or TRT.

Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare. Patients who are considering children in the future need special consideration. Most Testosterone therapy will lower sperm count , in many cases to zero. The good news is that there are options for increasing testosterone that will not have a negative effect on Sperm. Findings a physician who understands this and asks the right questions is very important as well.