Starting at age 40, men's testosterone levels begin to decline gradually between 1 and 2% each year. The reduction in testosterone levels is quite common, as more than a third of men over 45 have levels below what is considered normal for their age. Men may notice symptoms of fatigue, depression, or loss of facial and body hair. In addition to decreased muscle mass, lower testosterone levels can also lead to bone fragility, increasing the risk of fractures.
After age 30, testosterone levels in men decrease by about 1% each year. As testosterone levels decrease, men may experience decreased sexual desire, energy levels, muscle mass, and physical strength. They may also experience weight gain and sexual dysfunction. As men age, their testosterone levels can decrease by up to 2% per year after age 30. Despite intensive research on testosterone therapy for older men, important questions remain unanswered.
The evidence clearly indicates that many older men are partially androgen deficient. In older men, low levels of circulating testosterone are correlated with low muscle strength, high adiposity, insulin resistance, and poor cognitive performance.
Testosterone replacement
in older men has produced benefits, but it hasn't on a consistent basis. The inconsistency may be due to differences in the dosage and duration of testosterone treatment, as well as to the selection of the target population.Studies on anabolic responses to testosterone have generally used higher doses of testosterone for longer periods of treatment and have targeted older men whose baseline levels of circulating bioavailable testosterone were low. Most studies on testosterone replacement have shown that anabolic levels are modest compared to what can be achieved with resistance training. However, several strategies currently under evaluation have the potential to produce greater anabolic effects and to do so safely. At this time, testosterone therapy cannot be recommended for the general population of older men.
Older hypogonadal men are at greater risk of suffering the catabolic effects associated with a range of acute and chronic medical conditions. Future research is likely to reveal the benefits of testosterone therapy for some of these special populations. Testosterone therapy produces a number of adverse effects, such as worsening sleep apnea, gynecomastia, polycythemia and the rise of the PSA. Efficacy and adverse effects should be evaluated frequently throughout treatment.
Experts recommend testing only older men to determine if they have low testosterone levels if they have signs or symptoms. If an initial test shows low testosterone levels, the test should be repeated to confirm the results. If a low level of testosterone is confirmed, further testing of the pituitary gland is recommended to determine the cause and rule out other hormonal deficiencies. The pituitary gland is a bean-sized gland located at the base of the brain.
It is part of the body's endocrine system, which consists of all the glands that produce and regulate hormones. The decline in testosterone with aging has been given various names, such as male menopause, climacteric menopause, viropause, andropause, ADAM (androgen deficiency in older men) or age-related hypogonadism. Beneficial effects are seen both with acute (Rosano et al. 199) and chronic (English et al.
2000, 200) testosterone administration, and also with low-dose (Malkin et al. 200) and high-dose (Rosano et al. 199) supplementation. Testosterone supplementation in hypogonadal men improves exercise tolerance and decreases exercise-associated ischemia in older patients with coronary artery disease and low levels (Malkin et al 200) or low levels of normal testosterone (English et al 2000). Unlike female menopause, the decline in serum testosterone concentration in men is gradual and there is a lot of interindividual variability.
Testicular atrophy has been associated with long-term use of exogenous testosterone or over-the-counter steroids. If you start to feel tired despite sleeping all night or are gaining weight but haven't made any significant changes to your diet, these are signs that your testosterone levels may be low. It's well known that testosterone affects mood, cognitive performance, body composition, and many other aspects of the mind and body. Young men concerned about fertility will need a specialized treatment plan, as testosterone replacement therapy can have a negative impact on sperm production.
Testosterone is a natural hormone that is primarily produced in the testicles and helps men maintain everything from bone density and body hair to sexual desire and sperm production. A second avenue in which more research is needed is testosterone therapy for special populations of men who are at risk of developing catabolic states and muscle atrophy. In addition, the signs and symptoms associated with low testosterone levels are not specific to low testosterone levels. After age 40, a man's testosterone decreases by about 1% a year, but this process may start earlier in some cases.
If you have symptoms of low testosterone, it's always a good idea to contact your doctor and ask if they can measure your testosterone level.
