What is Testosterone?

Understanding How Testosterone Affects Men National Institutes of Health NIH

PATH supports research that improves the diagnosis and treatment of hormone disorders, including a landmark 2017 study that defines the “normal” range of testosterone in young adult men. Testosterone replacement can revitalize your sex life, boost your energy levels, and more. If you’re bothered by symptoms of testosterone imbalance, it’s time to schedule a consultation at Advanced Urology. Optimal levels of testosterone are different for each man but to ensure healthy bodily functions, you must have a certain level of the hormone. Significantly low levels can have a profound impact on your quality of life. Testosterone gives you a steady supply of sperm in the testicles.

The hormone is crucial for men to develop characteristically male traits, like facial hair and muscle development, but higher levels aren’t always better, Dr. Smith says. Some men with normal testosterone levels might use (and abuse) anabolic steroids, which are essentially synthetic testosterone, to increase their levels or fitness performance. Anabolic steroid abuse brings side effects, like reduced sperm counts, baldness, and an increased risk for prostate cancer, according to the Cleveland Clinic. For some men who are aging, the idea of testosterone replacement therapy seems like an enticing option. Effects such as increased vigour, increased muscle strength, enhanced memory, sharpened concentration, a boost in libido and increased energy levels can make this drug seem like the miracle anti-aging therapy. However, it is unclear whether or not this therapy can offer any health benefits to men who simply have a normal age-related decline in testosterone. Few large studies have examined the effects of this therapy in men who have a healthy testosterone level and the few smaller studies that have been conducted reveal conflicting results.

Over the past 15 years or so, many clinics have sprung up that specialize in TRT. Some experts warn against them because they say the doctors who run them often overprescribe testosterone and are often not specialists in urology or endocrinology (the study of hormones). Some of these clinics accept insurance, while others are cash-only. Before going to a testosterone replacement therapy clinic, do some research to find a reputable one.

By age 40, a women’s testosterone production is half as much as she produced at age 20. Hysterectomy with or without removal of the ovaries will cause a more significant decline in testosterone levels. Also, high levels of stress can divert the precursors for testosterone hormone production in women over to cortisol production and create a further reduction in testosterone. High stress levels can also contribute to symptoms earlier in the peri-menopause when a woman is in her late thirties or early forties. This means less energy, insomnia, brittle hair, less bone and muscle strength, foggy thinking, irritability, and a diminished sexual drive. While testosterone is an androgen, or male sex hormone, both men and women have, and need, testosterone.

They can also cause an imbalance in blood cholesterol, decreasing levels of “good” cholesterol. However, there is little, if any, research to indicate that these prohormone supplements affect testosterone levels. Research from 2016 did not find any evidence that Tribulus terrestris, for example, can increase testosterone levels. The effects of gradually lowering testosterone levels as men age have received increasing attention in recent years. Recent studies have also linked high testosterone levels in women to the risk of uterine fibroids. If an adult male’s testosterone levels are below 300 ng/dL, a doctor may do a workup to determine the cause of low testosterone, according to the American Urological Association.

When the testosterone is under 300, that’s when we would consider an adult male to have low testosterone. With TRT, a man receives medicine to raise his testosterone levels back to a normal range. Many men find that symptoms like low sex drive and moodiness improve with TRT.

These include bleeding, infection, bruising, and feeling lightheaded. When the needle pricks your arm or hand, you may feel a slight sting or pain. The chance of a higher risk of heart attack or stroke with testosterone use prompted the FDA to put a warning label on testosterone replacement products. As with any medicine, the decision on whether the possible benefits outweigh any risks is up to you and your doctor. Congestive heart failure.Men with severe congestive heart failure should generally not take testosterone replacement, as it can worsen the condition.

Boys 12 or 13 years old should have a testosterone level of 7 to 800 ng/dL. By the time they reach 15 to 16 years old, teen boys typically have a testosterone level of 100 to 1,200 ng/dL. Although hormones released by testes like estrogens and progesterone have a larger effect, testosterone is also believed to play a role in fertility in women. There’s evidence that women with low testosterone are less likely to conceive.