Testosterone deficiency - More a myth or reality?

Testosterone deficiency: Should men resort to testosterone pills as they age?
You do not feel like having sex? Do you often feel tired? Many men now suspect that their testosterone levels are dropping. Does it then help to swallow additional pills to increase the hormone balance? Some doctors promise relief. But what is behind it? Could help additional intake of testosterone or jeopardize your health?

The new Viagra?
In the US, the "low-T" phenomenon is currently causing a sensation. More and more men believe that they produce too little testosterone, and therefore lose their potency and strength. The market of preparations containing these hormones has exploded in recent years.
Testosterone controls potency and libido in men. A fall in testosterone levels in old age is not necessarily pathological. (Image: Sebastian Kaulitzki / fotolia.com)

What do the studies say??
Scientific studies have shown that a testosterone deficiency increases the risk of getting sick, for example, men's depression and diabetes.

Help testosterone preparations?
A study published in the Public Library of Science suggests that older men with testosterone products reduce their risk of having a heart attack. The study was not uncontroversial: Scientists criticized methodological shortcomings.

Chicken or egg?
It is still unclear whether the diseases being investigated are the result of a too low testosterone level, or whether the low testosterone level is not rather a consequence of the illnesses. For example, diabetes and heart failure have a massive effect on hormone balance.

What is testosterone for??
The male hormone controls the potency and libido of the man in conjunction with other hormones. In men, a high level of testosterone inhibits systematic thinking and encourages intuitive action. It increases self-confidence, and those less concerned about their emotional assessments of what is right and wrong.

impatience
In puberty, with increasing testosterone levels, impatience increases, adolescents with high levels of testosterone are susceptible to immediate rewards and press for visible results. Conversely, they have problems waiting for something. This is because the testosterone acts on brain regions that give the reward impulses.

Muscles and bones
Testosterone promotes the formation of muscles and bones. With this hormone, boys make more muscle in adolescence than girls. The female testosterone level is on average 10% of the male. In addition, testosterone formation supports the efficiency by contributing to blood formation.

Low testosterone level makes sense
In men over 40, the level of the hormone generally decreases. There are probably biological reasons for this. Testosterone promotes impulsivity, the sexual desire of different sex partners and thus slows down long-term family planning. Put simply, a high testosterone level makes sense for men to give birth to children, a lower level makes sense to raise them.

When is a testosterone level too low?
Setting limits for a "true" testosterone level is difficult because a drop is normal. If a 40-year-old man complains that he is no longer constantly thinking about sex as he was 20, it does not indicate a health problem. It is different when he is suffering from loss of performance, fatigue or absences, and these may have something to do with hormone levels. However, these symptoms are nonspecific.

When is testosterone deficiency pathological?
On the other hand, an often genetically determined morbid testosterone deficiency can be clearly established: Men are infertile, their beard does not grow, their bones are brittle. Here, a supply of testosterone is necessary.

hormone abuse
All hormone supplements and vitamins: Only people who are suffering from a real deficiency, they should take. By contrast, the "low-T" phenomenon is a typical promise of eternal youth and potency. But who receives too much testosterone, can get problems just as with a hormone deficiency. Typical consequences are thrombosis, as the hormone releases too much red blood cells.

Psycho or hormone therapy?
However, those who suffer from the fact that their lifeworld is different at the age of 70 than at age 25 do not need hormone therapy but psychotherapy.

Living healthy
As with other hormones, a healthy lifestyle is important so that testosterone does not sink too much in old age. Those who do not overweight in their old age, moderately but regularly train the body, whose testosterone levels remain within limits. Through consistent sports, especially through strength training, the level of the hormone even increases. (Dr. Utz Anhalt)