Understanding Androgen Deficiency
Testosterone Replacement (TRT) is not a Panacea for Ageing Males
Nov 15, 2008
Hypoandrogenism (inadequacy of the male hormone Testosterone) affects one in 200 men under the age of sixty - but often goes undiagnosed. The better known causes are
- a congenital defect called Klinefelter's Syndrome (the result of a male child being born with an extra X chromosome)
- disorders of the connection between the pituitary gland and the area of the brain known as the hypothalamus.
Symptoms
Mood swings, irritability, low energy, unexplained tiredness, poor concentration, reduced muscle strength, low bone density and low libido (a lack of interest in sex) can be signs of low testosterone levels. However, it is important to establish that these symptoms are really due to inadequate testosterone by performing a blood test to measure the levels of testosterone in the blood.
The normal or 'Reference range' for normal males is usually calculated on morning blood levels, when testosterone is at its peak. Therefore the blood sample for testing must be taken between 8.00 am and 10.00 am. It is important that this sample is tested by a laboratory that uses proper established techniques and whose results can be accurately compared with the WHO reference ranges.
Patients suffering from inadequate testosterone will benefit from treatment with hormone supplements - which can normalise their levels of male hormone and so boost their wellbeing and prevent osteoporosis. However, it is important to know that using testosterone supplements to "boost health" when one has no definite deficiency can be dangerous and produce serious unwanted adverse effects.
Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT)
Various methods are available to replace testosterone - tablets, injections, patches, gels and implants. Each of these methods has advantages and disadvantages:
- Tablets are easy to take but the ingested hormone may not be effectively absorbed from the intestine, so blood levels of hormone may not be consistent
- Injections provide more consistent blood levels - but are inconvenient because they need to be taken every two to three weeks
- Patches provide a method for slow absorption through the skin of hormone from a patch (like a Band-Aid) applied on the skin - but these patches have the potential to cause skin irritation
- Gels have to be applied daily -a few minutes after the gel is massaged into the skin it gets absorbed into the subcuticular layer and cannot be washed off. They are convenient but can be expensive
- Implants (where a pellet of hormone is surgically implanted under the skin) allow slow release of the hormone over a period of time. The disadvantage is that they require a patient to undergo a minor operation every three to four months
 |
