crazyjoe's thread “If you are over 40 and feel like half a man...†reminded me of something that has been on my mind a bit lately – my testosterone levels.
I was listening to a pretty reputable radio health show a couple of months ago and the guest physician was an expert on men's health and nutrition and he was explaining how most males lose a significant amount of T as they age and that he himself had at one point (in his late 30s) much less than optimal T levels and now in his early 50s had the levels of an avg man in his early 20s and how he felt way better.
To the best of my knowledge I've had never had my T levels checked.
Anyone here has looked into this or has received treatment and if so how did it go for you in terms of pros and cons.
At age 67 I noticed a loss of arm & leg hair and while my libido hasn't been an issue I'm always looking for an edge so I asked my cardiologist and he had my testosterone checked. I had also read a report of a study which showed a slightly longer lifespan for cardiac patients who had normal range T levels vs those with low T. My results came back low normal (within the expected range for those my age) and my Doc didn't feel treatment was warrented. In trying to understand the test results I learned that there are different ways to measure testosterone and my test measured "free testosterone" (as opposed to captive?). I've since read studies showing negative consequences for cardiac patients who receive testosterone supplements. During my next appointment with my primary care doc, I'm planning to discuss it with her. The ads for andro and other companies make increased muscle mass, improved metabolism, increased libido, etc. sound attractive but the fine print on side effects are cautionary.