Testosterone therapy: Potential benefits and challenges as you age

Looking at testosterone therapy to enable you really feel more youthful and extra vigorous as you age? Know the challenges just before you decide.

By Mayo Clinic Team

As you age, testosterone therapy may well seem promising. But there are a lot of misconceptions about what the treatment method can and are not able to do for you.

Testosterone therapy may well appear to be like the greatest anti-growing older components. Still the health benefits of testosterone therapy for age-linked decline in testosterone aren’t crystal clear.

Come across out what is acknowledged — and not acknowledged — about testosterone therapy for regular growing older.

What is testosterone?


The affect of testosterone in men

Testosterone is a hormone generated mostly in the testicles. Testosterone helps maintain men’s:

  • Bone density
  • Fat distribution
  • Muscle energy and mass
  • Facial and overall body hair
  • Pink blood mobile generation
  • Sex push
  • Sperm generation

What comes about to testosterone ranges with age?

Testosterone ranges commonly peak through adolescence and early adulthood. As you age, your testosterone degree steadily declines — typically about 1% a year right after age 30 or 40. For older men, it really is important to determine if a low testosterone degree is due to regular growing older or if it is due to a disease (hypogonadism).

Hypogonadism hampers the potential to generate regular amounts of testosterone due to a challenge with the testicles or with the pituitary gland that controls the testicles. Testosterone replacement therapy, in the kind of injections, pellets, patches or gels, can enhance the signs and signs of low testosterone in these men.

Does a by natural means declining testosterone degree lead to the signs and signs of growing older?

Not always. Adult men can have numerous signs and signs as they age. Some that may well arise as a end result of reduce testosterone ranges can include:

  • Changes in sexual perform. This may well include lessened sexual desire, much less spontaneous erections — this kind of as through snooze — and infertility.
  • Physical changes. A variety of physical changes are feasible, such as increased overall body unwanted fat, lessened muscle bulk and energy, and reduced bone density. Swollen or tender breasts (gynecomastia) and overall body hair decline are feasible. You may well have considerably less energy than you made use of to.
  • Emotional changes. Reduced testosterone can add to a minimize in determination or self-self-assurance. You may well really feel sad or depressed, or have issues concentrating or remembering matters.

Some of these signs and signs can be brought about by other aspects, such as medicine side effects, obstructive snooze apnea, thyroid troubles, diabetic issues and depression. It really is also feasible that these situations lead to low testosterone ranges, so treatment method may well end result in raise of testosterone ranges.

A blood test is made use of to diagnose a low testosterone degree.

Can testosterone therapy endorse youth and vitality?

Testosterone therapy can enable reverse the effects of hypogonadism, but it really is unclear no matter whether testosterone therapy would gain older men who are usually healthful.

While some men feel they really feel more youthful and extra vigorous if they just take testosterone remedies, you will find tiny proof to support the use of testosterone in usually healthful men. Tips from the American School of Physicians reveal that testosterone therapy may well enhance sexual perform somewhat in some men, but you will find tiny proof that it enhances other capabilities, this kind of as vitality and energy.

What are the challenges of testosterone therapy for regular growing older?

Testosterone therapy has different challenges, such as:

  • Worsening snooze apnea — a potentially severe snooze dysfunction in which breathing continuously stops and begins.
  • Leading to acne or other skin reactions.
  • Stimulating noncancerous expansion of the prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia) and expansion of current prostate most cancers.
  • Enlarging breasts.
  • Restricting sperm generation or creating testicles to shrink.
  • Stimulating also a great deal red blood mobile generation, which contributes to the increased threat of forming a blood clot. A clot could crack loose, journey through your bloodstream and lodge in your lungs, blocking blood stream (pulmonary embolism).

Also, some investigation shows that testosterone therapy can raise your threat of heart disease. Additional investigation is required.

Really should you converse to your medical professional about testosterone therapy?

If you marvel no matter whether testosterone therapy may well be proper for you, converse with your medical professional about the challenges and benefits. Your medical professional will very likely measure your testosterone ranges at the very least two times just before recommending testosterone therapy.

Managing regular growing older with testosterone therapy is not a good idea. If you will not have a healthcare issue which is contributing to your decline in testosterone ranges, your medical professional may well advise pure ways to increase testosterone, this kind of as shedding bodyweight and expanding muscle mass through resistance workout.