How Testosterone Optimization May Help Prevent Chronic Disease

Dr. Siobhan Newman explains the benefits of testosterone optimization in men and women. She shares her 25 years of Emergency Department experience and her personal journey with treating her husband with testosterone and bioidentical hormones.

In this article:

• What Testosterone does for Men
• When Testosterone becomes Estrogen and the benefits in Men
• What Testosterone does for Women

My evolving medical knowledge concerning testosterone therapy has been directly related to my patient encounters with aging clients. This aging was often premature, occurring years before expectations. I observed many common complaints from them including depression, muscles wasting, fatigue and sexual dysfunction. I also began to see common clinical observations of elevation in harmful cholesterol levels and inflammation markers increasing heart disease in both men and women. As I dove deeper into the scientific literature, it became obvious that there was a correlation between this decline in hormone production and worsening problems found with premature aging.

A turning point for myself in treating men for testosterone therapy began when my husband started experiencing symptoms of premature aging and andropause, commonly known as
“low T”. His sex drive diminished and his labs revealed similar hypercholesterolemia and inflammation patterns I would see in many of my patients. Often, I would find him slumped into his chair in the afternoon before heading off to coach the High School basketball team that he loved. He would eventually get himself to his feet and drink several cups of coffee just to have the stamina he needed to get to the gym. He often experienced acute bouts of low glucose and needed to eat bars just to maintain his energy levels. I can recall his surprise, and extreme disappointment, after a routine CT carotid angiogram diagnosed plaques in his heart which exposed his risk to a serious cardiovascular event within the next 5-10 years. This was a stark contrast from what we experienced together when I met him at 20 years old. Early in our relationship, like many young couples, we were extremely active and indulged in as many athletic adventures as possible. But now, the active lifestyle we loved began to become a thing of the past.

Testosterone is a hormone produced in the testes in men and the ovaries in women. Testosterone is released in the bloodstream, travels throughout the body, and benefits multiple cells and organs. The level of testosterone peaks during puberty and through your 20s.

The use of therapeutic testosterone can curtail the effects of aging and create well-researched deterrents against chronic disease. Over 50 years of studies have shown the effectiveness of testosterone therapy in men and women. It improves quality of life, energy, libido, and so many amazing benefits to health as one ages. If done under the supervision and care of a physician trained in the use of bioidentical hormone replacement, it can often provide excellent results.

Testosterone deficiency is commonly known as Low T. The conditions of Low T are well studied, yet the use of bioidentical therapeutic testosterone replacement is plagued by misinformation. The current research supports that maintaining optimal levels of testosterone can protect you from cardiovascular and neurological diseases.

Today’s medical insurance is designed to provide patients with sickcare. Though this system of medical practice can be effective in treating existing conditions, there is plenty of evidence that it is not the best approach (cost effective way to maintain your health and peak performance) economically or ethically. Preventative care, (beginning) with the use of bioidentical hormone agents like testosterone, when combined with proper nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle modification can restore healthy aging and limit the use of pharmaceutical medications.

Testosterone works at the cellular level. Secreted into the blood from the endocrine system, it moves throughout the body systems and organs interacting with multiple receptor sites. As we age, these receptors can involuntarily lose their sensitivity. To add to the dilemma of aging, the production of testosterone in both men and women begins to deteriorate by approximately 10% with every decade of life. The result can be a slow and insidious loss of cell signaling leading to an imbalance in cell homeostasis. This cellular equilibrium is crucial to maintaining the body systems functionality and responsiveness.

Researchers have found that replacing lost testosterone to optimal levels we produced in our youth can actually bring back many of the youthful benefits we once enjoyed. This is exactly what happened to my husband, after placing him on therapeutic hormone replacement therapy, his life changed dramatically. He lost about 30 pounds in a period of a year, his cholesterol panel optimized for a healthy heart and brain, his energy and sexual stamina were restored. It was an amazing turn around for him. Today, we are enjoying more traveling, hiking, and active experiences more than ever before. Testosterone therapy works!

Maybe it’s time for you to Rethink Aging.

What Testosterone does for Men:

• Enhances well-being
• Increases lean muscle mass
• Increases bone density
• Decreases cholesterol
• Improves skin tone
• Improves healing
• Improves libido and sexual performance
• Prevent memory loss and improve memory and cognition
• Protects the heart
• Improves immunity
• Decreases visceral fat which can lead to metabolic disease
• Improves depression and a feeling of well-being

Potential Side Effects of High Levels of Testosterone in Men:

• Acne
• Edema
• Excess libido
• Priapism
• Increased hemoglobin – Testosterone replacement in men can lead to higher levels of hemoglobin without causing blood clots

When Not to Use Testosterone Replacement in Men:

• Active Prostate Cancer or any hormone responsive cancer

Did you know that brain trauma can lead to psychiatric disease and depression? This type of condition has been seen in our military veterans and former athletes who have experienced concussions and CTE. In many cases, this has been directly linked to low testosterone in men and research has proven testosterone should be a go-to medication in traumatic brain injury care. 

References

Ginsberg TB, Cavalieri TA. 2008. Androgen deficiency in aging male: the beginning, the middle, and the ongoing. Clinical Geriatrics. Apr; 16(4): 25-28.
 
Malkin C, Pugh P, Jones R, Kapoor D, Channer K, Jones T. 2004. The effect of testosterone replacement on endogenous inflammation. J Clin Endocrino Metab. Jul;89(7):3313-8.
 
Goodale T, Sadhu A, Petak S, Robbins R. 2017. Testosterone and the Heart. Methodist Debakey Cardiovasc J. Apr-Jun; 13(2): 68-72
 
Traish A. 2016. Testosterone therapy in men with testosterone deficiency: are the benefits and cardiovascular risks real or imagined?. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. Sep1;311(3)
 
Jones H, Kelly D. 2018. Randomized controlled trials – mechanistic studies of testosterone and the cardiovascular system. Asian J Androl. Mar-Apr; 20(2):120-130

Jones H, Kelly D. 2018. Randomized controlled trials – mechanistic studies of testosterone and the cardiovascular system. Asian J Androl. Mar-Apr; 20(2):120-130

Rako S. 2000. Testosterone supplemental therapy after hysterectomy with or without concomitant oophorectomy: estrogen alone is not enough. J Womens Health Gend Based Med. Oct;9(8):917-23
 
Basson R. 2010. Testosterone therapy for reduced libido in women. Ther Adv Endocrinol Metab. Aug;1(4): 155-164