Are you one of the millions of men (and possibly their wives as well) who are thinking now is the time to do something about that decreasing muscle mass, decreasing libido and increasing belly fat – which are claimed (unofficially) as symptoms of Low-T? You may want to rethink this decision. In the August 18, 2014 issue of TIME magazine, writer David Von Drehle provides the low-down on low-T about whether the promise to pump men up is less real and more imagined, or just what the doctor ordered. According to the TIME article, aging in men has gone from a “go quietly into the night” of our fathers to a more raucous hell-raising as men bombard their bodies with a booming onslaught of prescription testosterone-infused gels, injections, nasal sprays, implants and pills that promise power, performance and passion. However, those promises may be more hype than help. Low-T as it turns out is a multi-billion dollar industry that is expected to increase even further from $2.4 billion in 20…
See all stories on this topic
Men with benign prostate enlargement who used finasteride (also known as proscar and propecia) to treat their condition, experienced worsening erectile dysfunction (ED) that did not resolve with continued treatment. In addition, they experienced a reduction in their testosterone levels leading to hypogonadism (little to no production of sex hormones). However, men who used tamsulosin (flomax) experienced none of these adverse side effects. The findings, currently available online in the journal Hormone Molecular Biology and Clinical Investigation, were led by researcher from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM). Considerable controversy exists regarding the severity and persistence of the adverse effects of 5α reductase inhibitors (5α-RIs) such as finasteride. Many investigators believe that the adverse effects on sexual function affects only a small proportion of treated patients and such adverse effects are thought to resolve with continuing treatment. The researchers studi…
See all stories on this topic
Men with borderline testosterone levels have higher rates of depression and depressive symptoms than the general population, new research finds. The results were presented at ENDO 2015, the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in San Diego. “Over half of men referred for borderline testosterone levels have depression. This study found that men seeking management for borderline testosterone have a very high rate of depression, depressive symptoms, obesity and physical inactivity,” said principal study author Michael S. Irwig, MD, FACE, associate professor of medicine and director of the Center for Andrology in the Division of Endocrinology at George Washington University in Washington, DC. “Clinicians need to be aware of the clinical characteristics of this sample population and manage their comorbidities such as depression and obesity.” The number of men having their testosterone levels checked has increased dramatically. Studies of the possible association between depression and s…
See all stories on this topic
