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Testosterone Deficiency/Replacement Therapy
Treatment for adults is aimed at improving energy, sexual drive, strength, mood, and feelings of well-being, and preventing bone degeneration.
Testosterone production declines naturally with age. Depending on age, insufficient testosterone production can lead to abnormalities in muscle and bone development (which could also cause pain), and diminished virility. Additionally, normal testosterone levels maintain energy level, healthy mood, fertility, and sexual desire.
Testosterone production increases rapidly at the onset of puberty and decreases rapidly after age 50 (to 20–50% of peak level by age 80). Recent estimates show that approximately 13 million men in the United States experience testosterone deficiency and less than 10% receive treatment for the condition.
Studies have shown that men with obesity, diabetes, or hypertension may be twice as likely to have low testosterone levels.
Testosterone deficiency has been linked to muscle weakness and osteoporosis. In one study, proximal and distal muscle weakness was detected in 68% of men with primary or secondary hypogonadism.
Spinal, trabecular, and radial cortical bone density may also be significantly reduced in testosterone-deficient men. Thirty percent of men with spinal osteoporosis have long-standing testosterone deficiency, and one-third of men have subnormal bone density that puts them at risk for fracture.
Treatment involves hormone replacement therapy. The method of delivery is determined by age and duration of deficiency. Treatment for adults is aimed at improving energy, sexual drive, strength, mood, and feelings of well-being, and preventing bone degeneration.
Transdermal delivery (i.e., through the skin) with a testosterone cream is becoming the most common method of treatment for testosterone deficiency in adults. It establishes and maintains adequate serum levels in as many as 92% of men treated, without causing significant side effects.
Are you a candidate for Testosterone Replacement Therapy? Click here to find out.