Why Treat Low T?
You know when FoxBusiness reports on the importance of treating low testosterone in men that a tipping point has been achieved in public awareness on this topic. Why this interest to treat low T?
Many changes that occur in men as they age is the direct result of declining testosterone levels. Baby boomer men now wish to stay active both physically and mentally longer and treating low T is one way to make that more likely.
The article, The Low Down on Low T; Replacement Can Help was published on July 1, 2011 and reviews the many symptoms associated with low testosterone. The article discusses the importance of testosterone on bone health and that men with low testosterone die sooner than men with normal testosterone levels.
For its article FoxBusiness interviewed Dr. Marina Johnson, and endocrinologist, and Dr. Abraham Morgentaler, an urologist that we have referenced in some of our other articles. Dr. Morgentaler is author of the book “Testosterone For Life”
Dr. Morgentaler has probably done more than any physician in debunking the many myths surrounding testosterone, but I disagree with one comment that he makes at the end of the article in which he says “that 5% of whom a man is depends on a normal or abnormal T-level”. Quality of life is greatly influenced by whether or not you treat low T.
Treat Low T and Add Life to Your Years
Considering that there are testosterone receptors on all cells of the body, being testosterone deficient means that all parts of the body suffer when testosterone is low. Given the fact that men with low testosterone die sooner than those with normal levels as Dr. Morgentaler states, I would argue that much more of a whom a man is depends on his testosterone level than simply 5%. Thus, the importance to treat low T.
Many times dramatic improvement are seen in men after starting testosterone therapy. This is more true when treatment of low T is coupled with a sound nutrition and exercise program.
Treat low T and you may feel like a brand new man. Notice we said “add life to years”, not “years to your life”. Treating low T is a quality of life issue.
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I am assuming you would have to be tested to determine your testosterone levels, and that they can’t be determined just from the way that you feel, for example as you age do you still get the same urges etc.
It’s definitely something worth looking into, especially as getting older and closer to death doesn’t worry most of us – until we begin to get older, and I am reaching that stage now. Once you realize that you have probably fewer years left than you have lived already, you want to do what you can to maximize those remaining years.
Thanks, Tony. Very good question. Having testosterone levels measured is important, but there is unfortunately a tendency to rely on testosterone levels alone in making the diagnosis of low T. One can have a so-called normal testosterone level and still be low in testosterone. The normal range for total testosterone in most labs is from 250 to 1000 or so. Keep in mind that testosterone levels decline as we age usually beginning in our early 30s. If someone age 45 has a testosterone level of 600, he’s normal right? Well, maybe not. What if his level was 900 when he was 30. Now 15 years later he’s at 600. Well, he has lost one third of his testosterone. His body probably is not going to function very well. He may have low libido, putting on body fat, experience mood swings, have a loss of confidence and so on. On the other hand, another male age 45 may have a testosterone level of 450 and be feeling perfectly fine. His level may have been 500 at age 30. So he’s only lost 10% of his testosterone and may not notice any symptoms. So testosterone levels are helpful when examined in association with a male’s symptoms. Dr Joe