Could Testosterone Therapy Help You Feel Younger as You Age?

There are many enticing prospects with testosterone therapy. Not only does the therapy enhance your sexual health with a boosted libido and bags of energy, but other areas of your wellbeing can also improve thanks to testosterone’s ability to increase your muscle mass and sharpen your memory and concentration. Put it that way, and testosterone therapy seems like the ultimate formula for your anti-ageing wellness, but testosterone’s benefits in preventing age-related decline aren’t as clear as they may seem. So what do we know, and not know, about using testosterone therapy for normal ageing.

 

Men produce testosterone primarily in the testicles. This hormone helps to maintain your bone density, fat distribution, muscle strength and mass, red blood cell production, sex drive and sperm production. Your testosterone production peaks during your teenage years and early adulthood and, as you get older, these levels gradually decline – typically by about 1% every year after you reach your 30s. It is important to determine in older men if a low testosterone level is simply due to the decline of normal aging or if it is due to a disease, such as hypogonadism. This occurs when your body is unable to produce normal amounts of testosterone, be it due to a problem with the testicles or with the pituitary gland that controls the testicles. If you have this disease, testosterone replacement therapy can improve the signs and symptoms of low testosterone.

 

Some people assume that a naturally declining testosterone level causes the signs and symptoms of ageing, but this isn’t necessarily the case. As a man, you can experience many signs and symptoms of ageing, only some of which occur as a result of lower testosterone levels. The signs of ageing related to waning testosterone include:

 

• Changes in sexual function: You might find that your sexual desire is reduced, you have fewer spontaneous erections — such as during sleep — and you’re less fertile.


• Changes in sleep patterns: Sometimes low testosterone can cause you to experience insomnia or other sleep disturbances.


• Physical changes: There are various possible physical changes when your testosterone levels decrease. You might have more body fat than you used to, less muscle bulk and strength or decreased bone density. It’s also possible to have swollen and tender breasts (which is known as gynecomastia), hot flashes, hair loss and less energy.


• Emotional changes: With lower testosterone levels, you can feel less motivated or self-confident, have trouble concentrating or remembering things and/or be sad or depressed.

 

So where does testosterone therapy come in? While testosterone therapy has been shown to help reverse the effects of hypogonadism, it remains unclear as to whether testosterone therapy would have any benefit for older men who are otherwise healthy. Some men believe that taking medications containing testosterone help them to feel younger and more vigorous, but few studies have been undertaken in this area, meaning that we do not know whether this feeling of youth is anything more than a placebo effect. Plus, the research that has been done has come back with mixed results. For example, in one study healthy men who took testosterone medications increased muscle mass but didn’t gain strength.

 

Moreover, there are risks to take into account when considering testosterone therapy:

• Sleep apnoea: This is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts, and testosterone therapy is thought to contribute to this.


• Polycythemia: This is a condition in which testosterone therapy encourages your body to make too many red blood cells, which can increase your risk of heart disease


• Acne or other skin reactions


• Benign prostatic hyperplasia: Testosterone therapy can stimulate non-cancerous growth of your prostate, and even stimulate growth of existing prostate cancer.


• Enlarged breasts


• Limited sperm production or testicle shrinkage

 

If you wonder whether testosterone therapy might be right for you, talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits.

Categories: anti-ageing, bone density, Feel Younger, muscle mass, older men, red blood, Risks, sperm production, testosterone level, testosterone levels, testosterone therapy

How to Rectify a Shortage of Testosterone

Testosterone is vital for a man’s sexual wellness and wellbeing, but it’s actually far more important than most men realise. A shortage of testosterone could actually cost you your life. Testosterone being low leads to all kinds of unpleasant side effects such as loss of muscle mass, low bone density, low sex drive and even increased risk of heart disease, cancer and death.

 

This is something that every man should take seriously, and there are some important things you can do to raise your testosterone levels.

 

One important thing to be aware of is that weight is linked to low testosterone, and the more your waist size goes up, the more your testosterone levels will come down. Just a four point increase in testosterone levels (around 30 extra pounds of body fat on an average 5’10 guy) can actually accelerate the decline of your physical health due to testosterone by up to 10 years. In order to stop this from happening, try a low fat diet and a serious ab-sculpting workout programme.

 

Another study has also shown recently that men who regularly lift weights, see a phenomenal boost in their testosterone levels. As the muscles get stronger, the body produces more and more testosterone. You need to pump iron twice a week in order to see this kind of benefit.

 

You should also be wary of cutting out too much fat from your diet. It’s good to cut down on the fat to a large extend, but eliminating all sources of fat can cause the testosterone in your body to plummet. Men who consume fat have high testosterone levels, but you need to make sure that it’s healthy fat such as the fat found in fish and nuts, in order to avoid counteracting all your good work by piling on the pounds.

Categories: body, health, levels, low, nbsp, order, Testosterone, testosterone levels

No Muscle, Energy or Sex Drive? He Must Have Low Oestrogen

As you get older, wellness experts are likely to blame your waning testosterone levels for your loss of muscle, energy and sex drive, but oestrogen might be getting off scot-free as a result. This is according to a new study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, which found that your decrease in oestrogen may play a bigger role in your age-related health concerns than previously thought.

 

The study found that declining levels of oestrogen can have a negative effect on your wellbeing, leading you to accumulate more body fat – which is something that we previously blamed testosterone for. Study researcher Dr. Joel Finkelstein, an endocrinologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, commented, ‘The function of oestrogen in men has largely been ignored,’ as research has largely limited the study of the hormone in men to the role of oestrogen deficiency in bone loss. He added, ‘Men make oestrogen from testosterone, and women do, too,’ which is why your levels of both hormones naturally drop.

 

400 healthy men aged 20 to 50, all of whom had normal testosterone levels, took part in the study. These participants were injected with a drug that drastically lowered their normal production of the hormone, until the testosterone reached pre-puberty levels of production. 198 men were then given a 16-week supply of testosterone gel for their skin, in one of four dosage levels or a placebo. Similar doses of the gel were given to the other 202 volunteers, but these men also took a drug designed to block the conversion of testosterone into oestrogen over the 16-week study.

 

The divvying out of the gel and drug doses was arranged in such a way as to tell the researchers which symptoms – changes in body fat, muscle mass, strength and sexual function – were to do with reductions in testosterone, oestrogen or both. The researchers also arranged the study in this way to determine the level of testosterone at which these physiological effects occur. The results revealed that when oestrogen levels drop, men experience some of the same consequences that women do after menopause; increased bone loss, lowered libido, and more fat around the midsection.

 

While changes in strength and muscle mass and size were closely connected to lower testosterone levels, it was the decline of both testosterone and oestrogen that reduced the men’s sex drive and erectile function. Finkelstein noted, ‘We were surprised at the dramatic effects that low levels of oestrogen had on fat accumulation and sexual function in men. We knew that these effects were seen in studies on mice, and these results very accurately predicted what occurred in humans.’

 

According to Dr. Bradley Anawalt, an endocrinologist and professor of medicine at the University of Washington Medical School in Seattle, who was not involved in the research, ‘This is a beautifully done study that allows physicians to get a little better handle on interpreting testosterone levels, but the real mind-blower of this study is the idea that oestrogen has an important role in male physiology.’ Anawalt went on to say that the study has very important implications for medical practice, as the results clearly show how testosterone has a differential effect on body organs, such as fat, muscle, the penis and the brain.

 

With the results of this study, your doctor will be better able to understand the threshold levels of testosterone in the blood associated with age-related complaints, and at what levels testosterone therapy may benefit you. However, Anawalt warned that the study is limited by the fact that it used the average “normal” level of testosterone in men (300 to 900 nanograms per decilitre) to measure treatment outcomes in the participants, so your doctor needs to be careful about applying these results to you as an individual.

Categories: age related, bone loss, men's health, muscle energy, muscle mass, oestrogen, Research, Sex Drive, sexual function, Testosterone, testosterone levels

Is Male Menopause Something to Worry About?

Everyone ages, and with this they experience hormonal changes which lead to numerous bodily changes. Where women experience dramatic hormone shifts, thought, men experience theirs more gradually over a period of many years. This has been coined as the ‘male menopause’, which is something of a myth but refers to genuine hormonal changes which men may notice as they age. The term usually refers to the decline in testosterone levels, or the reduction in the bioavailability of this hormone in relation to ageing. However, it is important to recognise that the female and male menopauses are very different processes. In women, the hormones plummet dramatically, but men suffer far less intense shifts. Most doctors prefer to use the term andropause, as this better describes the age-related changes in male patients. Of course, everyone is different, and testosterone levels vary from man to man. Older men, though, have lower levels than younger men. As you age, the testosterone levels decline by around one percent each year after the age of 30. By the age of 70, they can have declined by as much as 50 percent.

 

You can spot the symptoms of a low testosterone levels in the body with a variety of symptoms. Your sexual function may be affected, including erectile dysfunction or fewer spontaneous erections. Some men notice that there are changes to their sleep patterns, leading to insomnia or increased sleepiness. Physically, men sometimes complain of an increase in body fat, reduced muscle and strength, and decrease bone density. There may even be a loss of body hair and swollen or tender breasts, which is known as gynecomastia. Much like women experience in menopause (thought far rarer in men) you may have hot flushes, and less energy. Lastly, hormones affect our emotions so it’s natural that with a shift in the levels, you may notice some emotional changes. This might lead to a decrease in self confidence, feelings of sadness or depression, or trouble concentrating. These are all natural processes with age, but some may be an underlying issue relating to a separate health problem – it’s worth speaking to your GP who can advise why you’re experiencing certain symptoms. You should be honest with your GP – work with them to identify any health issues which may be contributing to how you’re feeling, so that they can determine what the best course of treatment is. Don’t keep any information back, even if you think it isn’t related – it may help with your diagnosis.

 

You should also choose healthy lifestyle choices, such as more exercise and a better diet. Your lifestyle can help you to maintain energy and lean muscle mass, as well as building strength. Regular exercise can also affect your mood, balancing out any emotional problems you’ve been experiencing as a result in the testosterone shift. If you’re feeling down regularly, speak to someone about it – you may be suffering with depression, which can make you irritable, isolated and withdrawn. These are issues which are best dealt with early, before they develop and become harder to treat. Therefore, if you’re noticing that you’re feeling lonely or withdrawn more than usual, you should consult your GP who can refer you to a counsellor if need be, or prescribe medication to combat the issue. There is a lot of controversy surrounding the treatment of testosterone replacement therapy, as the benefits aren’t clear, particularly for older men. It could potentially increase the risk of prostate cancer and lead to other health problems. It’s best to speak to your GP to ascertain if it is the right choice for you.

Categories: Experience, feeling, levels, male, male menopause, men, Menopause, older men, Testosterone, testosterone levels, women experience

How to Prevent the Three Major Prostate Health Concerns

Prostate cancer is becoming more and more common, which is why it’s more important than ever to have regular check ups if you’re a man over 50. However, this isn’t the only health concern related to prostate, so let’s take a look at how yours might be affected, and what you can do to relieve or prevent the symptoms.

 

1. Enlarged Prostate. In this condition, your gland grows so big that it reduces the flow of urine through the urethra. You know this affects your wellness if you take frequent trips to the bathroom, have an increased sensation to urinate or experience a reduced urine flow. An enlarged prostate also leads to lower testosterone levels, which hinders your well-being with depression, fatigue and vascular diseases. However, you can find out if your testosterone levels are too low with a simple blood test done by your doctor.

 

2. Prostate Infections. For a variety of reasons, you can contract an infection in your prostate. You may experience such symptoms as pain or burning during urination, as well as pain in the pelvic area. If this happens, go get it checked out straight away so that your doctor can give you the treatment you need to clear up the infection.

 

3. Prostate Cancer. This is the most common type of cancer in men, but its severity varies in different patients. You may have no symptoms, and only discover you have the cancer as a result of your regular prostate examination – which is why regular checkups are so important if you’re over the age of 50. If your prostate is enlarged, you have low testosterone levels or there’s a history of prostate cancer in your family, you’re at a greater risk of prostate cancer. The symptoms are the same as prostate enlargement, which is why you should visit your physician ASAP.

 

If you have one of the above health concerns, or you want to prevent them, you can do a lot with your diet. You should reduce your intake of red meat, dairy products and fried food, and consume more soya, fruits, vegetables, Omega 3 fatty acids and fatty fish like salmon and tuna. Plus, you can find relief from your frequent need to urinate by using the following supplements:

 

• Zinc


• Saw Palmetto


• Beta-sitosterol


• Lycopene


• Green tea


• Vitamin E


• Selenium


• Pomegranate juice

Categories: Enlarged Prostate, health concerns, prevent, prostate, prostate cancer, Prostate Infections, testosterone levels