ABOUT TESTOSTERONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY
If you're reading this page, chances are you've been doing research to decide whether testosterone replacement therapy is right for you. Obviously, that will be a decision you come to on your own, so in the meantime, here is a brief explanation of testosterone and its role in a man's life.
Testosterone is a sex hormone that is produced in a man's testes. When a male baby is developing, this hormone helps the sex organs form. During puberty, testosterone plays a key role in physically developing boys into men. It makes hair grow on the face, builds muscles, and causes the voice to deepen. Later in life, testosterone also plays an important role in a man's sexual function, muscle maintanence as well as mental clarity / cognition.
A man's testosterone level is at its highest when he is 18 - 25. After the age of 25, his level starts to decline. However - there are instances where some men have low testosterone - lower than normal - which could be a result of using anabolic steroids which disrupts a man's normal testosterone-making abilities, or it could just be a genetic / heredity issue.
Most often though, low testosterone is simply a part of the aging process. Natural aging causes men to lose 1% - 2% or more every year, starting in their 30s. This is reflected in a loss of a man's muscle mass as well as sex drive. In their 40s, roughly 20% of men have decreased testosterone levels, ac-cording to the Urology Care Foundation. Among men in their 50s and 60s, that number rises to 30% or higher.
One study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism also linked low testosterone to a higher risk of death from heart disease.
Having low testosterone doesn't only affect your sex drive and your ability to have sex; it can cause other symptoms as well. If you're suffering from low 'T', you may notice that you've put on weight, and that you have less energy than you used to. Low testosterone increases body fat and reduces muscle mass. It also can affect your mood, making you feel irritable, or make it difficult for you to concentrate. Low testosterone can sometimes have long-term, serious effects on the body. In men with very low levels, the bones can become weak, potentially causing a condition called osteoporosis. Osteoporosis makes people considerably more prone to injury. One study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism also linked low testosterone to a higher risk of death from heart disease.
This chart shows average testosterone loss for a man from the age of 30 through 60, if he started with a testosterone level of 500.
AVERAGE TESTOSTERONE LOSS PER YEAR
When a man finally decides to go on Testosterone Replacement Therapy, it's not a decision he comes to hastily; most men usually consider it for many months before finally realizing that, in the long run, TRT is something that could be good for them. And, the truth is - IT CAN BE!
Testosterone Replacement Therapy, also known as TRT, is a class of hormone replacement therapy in which androgens, often testosterone, are replaced. TRT is often used to counter the effects of male hypogonadism and typically involves the administation of testosterone through either: injections, skin creams, patches, gels, or subcutaneous pellets.
LOW TESTOSTERONE
VS.
NORMAL TESTOSTERONE
