Low T? Guys, do you have Low Testosterone?

I can't help but be in tune with all of the Low T commercials appearing on the TV right now because of what I hear in my office everyday.  I am happy that men are being targeted and educated on the physical implications that come about as a result of having a low Testosterone (low T) level.  Throughout the last year especially, more and more men are seeking answers for the crummy way that they are feeling.  The last two guys that came into the office were both in their 40's.  To all of this initiative, I say High Five Guys!

Symptoms:
Typically men will mostly complain that they have no energy, no sex drive, a loss of muscle strength, erectile dysfunction, irritability, depression, and weight gain.  These can all be direct symptoms of androgen (male hormone) deficiency.  Another common complaint is a feeling of extreme fatigue.  A few weeks ago a wife called to seek information on testing options for her husband who was cranky she said, '95% of the time now'. She warned him that if he didn't do something about it, that she was going to do something herself.  (I did not ask any further questions.) Yikes!

A peek at what the Medical Literature is showing about Testosterone:
In the Massachusetts Male Aging Study, low hormone levels were found and diagnosed in 38.7% of the study participants who were over 45 years old.  With that high of a statistic, if you are 45 or older, you might want to pay particular attention to this blog. Another study published in 2008 tracked 800 California men 50-91 years old.  Their hormone levels and health was tracked over 20 years.  Guess what?  The men with low T tended to be overweight and had increased risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.  Men with the lowest T had a 40% increase in mortality.  Whoa!! 

What to have checked:
There are OTHER key hormones (other than Testosterone) that should also be looked at in males struggling with the aforementioned symptoms.  *The TV commercials don't tell you that little tidbit of information.*   Did you know that estrogen is not just a female hormone?  Men produce a small amount too.  (Man up guys, it's ok to say you make estrogen.) So what's the big deal with estrogen?  During andropause, a problem can occur as Testosterone declines and estrogen takes the lead.  Estrogen dominance can result due to the imbalance of one hormone to another and can lead to breast and prostate enlargement. Progesterone, another sex hormone, can then look out of balance too as it is responsible for balancing estrogen.  It's kind of a cascade of things as you begin to peel back the layers of the problem.  Stress and thyroid hormones also need to be evaluated to determine if the symptoms are linked to another problem outside of the hormone world.  Work with your doctor or a hormone specialist to find out what is important to check.

What to do:
If you think you may have low T, then by all means get it checked out.  You may be functioning at a lower level of normal than you actually realize.  Who knows how good you might feel if things were appropriately balanced.   The testing is very simple and something that you can actually do right from your own home.  So guys there's really no good excuse to pass up this option.  Please give my office a call to get an informational packet on Andropause and a testing kit mailed to your home today.


Low T does not have to be.

To your good health,
Dr. Sonja