Page 1 - Male Hormone Replacement
P. 1

Urological Health


                                Male hormone replacement








        With age, the production of male sex hormone decreases resulting in physical and emotional
        changes which may be bothersome to some men.



               any bodily functions are controlled by             What are the symptoms of
        Mhormones, chemical messengers produced
        by various glands. Testosterone is the principal male     testosterone deficiency?
        sex hormone. Produced primarily in the testicles, it
        is essential in stimulating the development of male       In contrast to the well-defined symptoms of
        sexual characteristics in boys at puberty. In men, it     menopause in women, the symptoms of a slowly
        helps maintain muscle and bone strength as well as        falling testosterone level may be more subtle. These
        sexual drive and performance.                             may include decreased sex drive, decreased muscle
                                                                  mass and strength, increased body fat, moodiness,
        After the age of 30, the normal testosterone level        sleep disturbance, and decreased energy. However,
        declines slowly but steadily in men. In some men,         these changes, frequently seen with deficient
        testosterone production declines more rapidly             testosterone, may also be related to other factors like
        than others, although there is no sudden change           stress, depression, lifestyle, poor fitness or illness.
        comparable to menopause in women.
                                                                  What are the benefits of testosterone
        Today, men are living longer and many are seeking
        ways to improve their quality of life. Regular exercise,   replacement therapy?
        limiting alcohol consumption, avoiding obesity, not
        smoking, and eating a balanced diet have all been         Benefits of testosterone supplementation are most
        shown to be effective at maintaining good health.         notable in men with testosterone levels well below
                                                                  normal. These may include increased sex drive,
        Many men with low testosterone levels will benefit        increased muscle mass, improved bone strength,
        from supplementation: improving sexual function,          decreased abdominal fat and better control of blood
        muscle strength, bone health, fat distribution            sugar in diabetics. Mood and mental function may
        and even mood and mental function. However,               also improve. There is ongoing research examining the
        other diseases may cause many of the symptoms             possible benefits of testosterone supplementation on
        associated with a low testosterone, and raising the       the blood vessels in the body, especially its effects on
        testosterone level may not reverse some of these          heart health and the cholesterol levels.
        changes. Your physician, after reviewing your
        particular symptoms and tests, will advise you on         What are the risks of testosterone
        the possible benefits and risks of supplementing          replacement therapy?
        your testosterone.
                                                                  Despite many years of widespread use, the long-term
        How is testosterone deficiency                            risks of testosterone supplementation have not been
        diagnosed?                                                clearly established. Like any medical therapy, male
                                                                  hormone replacement should be approached with
        The diagnosis of testosterone deficiency is first         some caution and after an in-depth discussion with
        suspected based on a man’s symptoms and a                 your physician.
        blood test proving he has low testosterone levels.
        Testosterone levels vary over the course of the           Testosterone replacement can also affect sperm
        day reaching a peak early in the morning.  It is          counts. If you are interested in having children you
        recommended that all testosterone blood tests be          should not start testosterone replacement.
        done in the morning. Testosterone exists in several
        forms in the bloodstream and can be measured
        by different tests. In practice, one or two separate
        morning measurements of testosterone are favoured.                                   Continued on next page
   1   2