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Low Testosterone in Men
The Muscle-Building,
Libido-Boosting Benefits
of Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) For Men
Testosterone deficiency (alternatively known as “low T”) is a public health disaster for American men of all ages; our levels have fallen drastically in recent decades and will likely continue to plummet without corrective action.
Let’s get into the symptoms and causes of low testosterone and, most importantly, what assistance Joon Med can offer to boost your levels and restore your masculine energy if you are one of the thousands of men in the Houston area impacted by testosterone deficiency.
SYMPTOMS OF LOW TESTOSTERONE
Briefly, here are (some of) the symptoms caused by low T:
- Fat accumulation, most notably around the midsection (so-called “beer gut”)
- Muscle loss
- Low libido (loss of sexual desire)
- Erectile dysfunction (ED)
- Poor sperm quality
- Low energy levels (chronic fatigue)
- Poor concentration/memory
- Cognitive issues
- Anxiety, depression, and various other emergent mental health issues
Many doctors may prescribe patients with testosterone deficiency medications to treat the symptoms (phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors like Viagra or Cialis to treat erectile dysfunction, for example) without ever addressing the root cause – a mistake that could take years off of your life unnecessarily.
Any man experiencing the above symptoms should get their testosterone levels checked (more on diagnosing testosterone deficiencies later).
CAUSES OF LOW TESTOSTERONE
Some of the major culprits of low testosterone in men include:
- Air and water pollution
- Estrogen-mimicking food additives and poor dietary choices (the “soy boy” phenomenon)
- Stress
- Age*
*Historically, age has been the most significant predictor of low T; however, as we will explore coming up, men and even boys are experiencing deficiencies at younger and younger ages.
TESTOSTERONE LEVELS DURING AGING
Testosterone levels peak, on average, in the late teens or early 20s for most men. The average 17-18-year-old young man typically has around 300-1,200 ng/dL blood concentration of the male sex hormone – hence the stereotypical boundless energy levels and high libido of males in this age range.
Following this peak in adolescence, the average man’s T count drops by a consistent rate of roughly 1% per year. This means that, unfortunately, it’s entirely common that a 45-year-old man has only 75% of his peak T counts at this age while a 70-year-old man may only maintain half the T levels of a 20-year-old – bad news for virility and energy.
Testosterone Deficiency:
No Longer Just an Aging Man’s Problem
Unfortunately, in the modern world, no man – or even boy — is safe from the ravages of environmental factors that devastate testosterone levels at the population level.
The results of a recent 2020 study published in European Urology Focus detail the startling decline of testosterone among teenage and young adult males.
“Testosterone deficiency has a prevalence of 20% among adolescent and young adult (AYA) males… After controlling for confounders, we found that mean TT levels declined over time: TT levels were lower in the later (2011-2016) than in the earlier (1999-2000) cycles… We conclude that TT levels have been declining in young adult men in recent decades.”
The Long-Term Health Dangers of Untreated
Low Testosterone
Testosterone receptors (often called “AR receptors“) are located throughout the body across multiple organs; the male sex hormone is absolutely critical for optimal physiological function of all organs, not just the reproductive system.
Accordingly, low testosterone is implicated in a number of chronic, age-related health conditions in men:
“Chronic illnesses are associated with an overt TD [testosterone deficiency]. Both chronic diseases and low T can be involved in determining symptoms present in subjects complaining for sexual dysfunction. This should be considered in the diagnostic workup for TD.”
The following list details a few (but by no means all) of the negative health consequences of untreated low testosterone in men:
- Anemia (potentially leading to chronic kidney failure)
- Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries that leads to heart disease)
- Osteoporosis (age-related weakening of the bones)
- Sarcopenia (age-related muscle atrophy)
- Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related neurodegenerative conditions
The bottom line: if you are a man over 40 experiencing any of the symptoms of testosterone deficiency that we covered in the previous section, you may very likely have a testosterone deficiency. When your healthcare provider suspects that you are affected by sub-optimal testosterone levels, the next step is to run diagnostic blood work (performed by a qualified lab) to confirm or disprove the theory.
HOW IS LOW TESTOSTERONE DIAGNOSED?
The process of diagnosing low testosterone in men is straightforward. The process essentially goes like this:
- Man visits doctor, explains symptoms
- Doctor performs physical evaluation, asks pertinent questions related to symptoms and medical history
- Patient visits local lab for a quick blood draw
- The lab analyzes the patient’s blood sample to detect testosterone and related hormone levels
- Doctor reconvenes with patient to discuss lab results
- If appropriate, the doctor and patient collaborate to develop the ideal therapy protocol
- Therapy begins
- Results begin in as little as 2 weeks, with maximal benefits coming around the one-year mark
The blood tests will likely measure a combination of hormones that may include:
- Total testosterone
- Free testosterone
- Estrogen (the female sex hormone)
- Sex hormone binding globulin (which captures testosterone and delivers it to various tissues throughout the body)
WHY ARE BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONES OPTIMAL?
Bioidentical hormones are ideal for all forms of HRT whenever possible, including for TRT, because bioidentical testosterone is molecularly identical to naturally occurring forms of the sex hormone produced in men’s testes.
Let’s briefly run down the advantages of bioidentical testosterone over other forms:
- More readily absorbed
- More cost-effective
- Fewer side effects
- Safer than alternatives (bioidentical hormones produced in the US are compounded in FDA-approved facilities)
Regardless of your age or extent of your deficiency, at Joon Med, we will help:
- reclaim your youthful vitality
- regain your masculine vitality
- improve your overall well being
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Magnolia, TX 77354
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