That's the thing, the doc acted like it is no big deal. That was from by blood test results and she said that it is low, but taking hormones will be more detrimental because of the side effects. .
Then your doctor's ignorance is going to damage your health in the long run. Find another doc, or ask for a referral from the doc to an endocrinologist, hopefully one specializing in male issues. From my April News Letter, which you may want to print out and give to your doc:
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As the readers my articles have probably already figured out, I am a big fan of hormone testing and optimizing hormones. I’m particular fan of the hormone testosterone, which literally makes men men or a man a man or…well you get the point. No news there.
However, there are also many myths and unfounded fears some have about this hormone. Some are under the impression it might increase their chances of prostate cancer, some may have heard it’s bad for their heart, and others may have read in some tabloid it will grow horns on your head and you will sprout a prehensile tail…so what’s the truth? The truth is, recent studies have found healthy testosterone levels are not only safe, it can improve a man’s health, and potentially help prevent a variety of diseases.
It’s essential to remember the term “healthy testosterone levels.†By that, we mean levels in the normal healthy range for a man, not too low (where we start to see all manner of health problems) or too high! Like most things in life, too little or too much, is where the problems arise. Believe me, low testosterone levels are terrible for a man’s health. For example, according to one recent review of by a Dr. Shabsigh and colleagues:
“Hypogonadism (low testosterone) is associated with central obesity; insulin resistance; low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL); high cholesterol levels; and high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides, fibrinogen, and plasminogen activator-1. Some observational studies show a correlation between low testosterone and cardiovascular disease (CVD), and others show no correlation. Interventional studies do not reveal a direct long-term relation between testosterone therapy and CVD. Short-term data suggest cardiovascular benefits of testosterone.â€â€¢
Heck, the above review also leaves out other known negative effects of low testosterone in men, such as loss of libido, depression, loss of muscle mass and decreases performance, as well as other issues best avoided.
Most studies find clear health benefits for men with low testosterone (hypogonadism) when they are brought up to those healthy normal levels mentioned above via the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). But what about prostate cancer or heart disease? A retrospective analysis by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center published in The New England Journal of Medicine found no causal relationship between testosterone replacement and prostate cancer or heart disease risk! Nadda, zip, nothing. According to Dr. Abraham Morgentaler:
"We reviewed decades of research and found no compelling evidence that testosterone replacement therapy increases the incidence of prostate cancer or cardiovascular disease.â€â€¢â€¢
This review of 72 studies puts to rest unfounded fears some may have that there is any risk of testosterone replacement therapy – which brings men from a low testosterone state to a ‘healthy normal’ state - at least where it concerns CVD or prostate cancer. As the game show host would say, but wait, there’s more!
A recent study published online November 26, 2007 in the journal Circulation, found there was an inverse risk for men with low testosterone and all cause mortality. Translated, men with the lowest levels of testosterone had the highest mortality rates from all causes including heart disease and cancer! The authors of this study commented
“…these findings are consistent with existing evidence from epidemiological and clinical studies indicating that endogenous testosterone concentrations may be an indicator of good health."
As mentioned earlier, there is a normal healthy range for a man’s testosterone levels as covered in this book – which is a very different state of affairs seen with very high doses of anabolic steroids used by some athletes - but men given supraphysiological doses (meaning much higher than normal) of this hormone don’t generally find serious side effects. For example, a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) - considered one of the most prestigious medical and scientific journals in the world – found healthy men given 600mg per week (about 6 times higher than the typical replacement dose) of testosterone did not suffer any serious side effects, negative changes in lipid profiles, and did not see a rise in prostate-specific antigens, or increased aggression. •••
But what if the person has already had a heart attack? Interestingly, one study suggests testosterone therapy may actually help after a heart attack, but it’s preliminary research done on animals. ••••
So what about the very high doses of testosterone and other anabolic steroids used by high level bodybuilders and other athletes mentioned above? As with pretty much any hormone, below a certain levels, health issues arise and above a certain level, the same thing happens, though the health issues may or may not be the same. For example, very high levels or very low levels may present an increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) but far more is known about too little vs. too much when it comes to testosterone and CVD or prostate issues, etc. At the very high doses used by some athletes it would not surprise me if there was an increased risk of CVD but data is scarce here.
Although everyone mistakenly associates testosterone with men only, but that’s not true, and I have not forgotten the ladies! Yes, testosterone does play a role in the health and well being of women too, albeit not to the extent that it does for men. For example, testosterone plays a key role in sexual function of women as well as men which has lead companies to pursue the use of testosterone for treating low libido in women, which has the medical term hypoactive sexual desire disorder or HSDD, which is estimated to affect approximately one third of American women.
Such products are currently being examined in clinical trials, and If given the green light by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, such products will probably be prescribed to women complaining of a low sex drive.
This is just a small sample of the many studies published on the risks associated with low testosterone and shows the myths and fears some may have over this hormone are clearly unfounded.
Cont:
Brinkzone Newsletter - April 2008
