As you age, your testosterone level gradually decreases, usually about 1% a year after age 30 or 40. For older men, it's important to determine if it's a low level. Testosterone decreases in women as they age, especially after menopause, but most of the time, TRT Clinic in Minneapolis MN isn't necessary. If a woman complains of a low libido and wants to change it, experts often recommend that other causes be ruled out first, for example, looking at current medications, such as SSRIs (which are taken to treat depression) or relationship problems. When a man doesn't have enough testosterone in his body, it's called hypogonadism or low testosterone.
Levels of the hormone normally decrease with age. About 4 out of 10 men over the age of 45 have low testosterone levels. It is seen in approximately 2 out of 10 men over 60, 3 out of 10 men over 70, and 3 out of 10 men over 80. Men with certain health problems, such as diabetes and obesity, also tend to have low testosterone levels. If you think you may have low testosterone, it's important to see a doctor to make sure you have low testosterone levels and not another condition.
Many of the symptoms of low testosterone can be the result of other health problems. For example, decreased energy and depressed mood may be due to a variety of different health conditions and not to low testosterone. The diagnosis of low testosterone begins with a review of the medical history, a physical exam, and a blood test to measure testosterone levels. Some studies show that testosterone may increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, a potentially life-threatening clot in the lungs.
When you undergo testosterone replacement therapy, it may take 3 to 6 months for your symptoms to completely resolve and you feel better again. Testosterone treatment increases spontaneous sexual thoughts, attention to erotic cues, the duration and frequency of nocturnal penile erections and the volume of ejaculate. Men with prostate cancer or high levels of prostatic specific antigen (PSA) should probably avoid treatment with testosterone. For older men, it's important to determine if a low testosterone level is due to normal aging or if it's due to a disease (hypogonadism).
Some trials showed greater improvement in measures of insulin resistance with testosterone treatment in men with type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome than with placebo (but treatment with testosterone has not consistently improved glycemic control). Many men with low testosterone report an improvement in their energy levels, sexual desire and mood after treatment with testosterone. Your doctor will likely measure your testosterone levels at least twice before recommending testosterone therapy. If your doctor suspects that your testosterone levels are low, he or she will do a blood test, probably first thing in the morning.
Testosterone levels are highest in men around age 17 and decline as they age, starting in their 30s and 40s. If symptoms of low testosterone bother you, talk to your doctor to find out if you are a candidate for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).). Instead, a panel of experts from the Endocrine Society recommended that “testosterone therapy be offered on an individualized basis. A recent study of 44,000 men with low testosterone found that men who used TRT to treat symptoms of low testosterone had a 33% lower risk of heart attacks and strokes compared to those who received no hormonal treatment.
You may need to have your blood drawn more than once and at different times of the day, as testosterone levels change. However, consistently low levels of testosterone can affect both physical and mental health, so it's important to talk to your primary care doctor as soon as you start having symptoms. Testosterone treatment of older men with symptomatic testosterone deficiency offers some clinical benefits (e.g.
