SAFE and NATURAL

Low Testosterone: Critical Health Dangers

The symptoms of low testosterone are bad enough, but the serious health risks of decreased testosterone are much worse!
 
   Dozens of scientific and clinical studies over the last two decades show that a deficiency of testosterone is linked to a number of very serious diseases and health issues including:
 

• Heart Disease
• Prostate cancer
• Coronary Artery Disease
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Obesity
• Osteoporosis
• Metabolic syndrome
• Depression
• Increased Fracture Rates
• Dementia

Worst of all:   Studies show that low testosterone increases mortality rates from all causes
 
   Obviously the risks of low testosterone are very high! This is why so many doctors these days are prescribing testosterone therapy to their aging male patients.
 
   The good news is if you have any of the above conditions/illnesses, it’s possible to restore your testosterone to youthful levels, and experience remarkable reversals of many of these conditions!
 

Health Benefits of Increasing Testosterone

    Below are some findings from recent clinical studies on the results of increasing testosterone levels in men with particular health issues.
 
Source: Life Extension Magazine, July 2008, “Optimizing Testosterone Levels in Aging Men” by Paul D. Navar, MD)
 
   In 2007, Drs. Miner and Seftel published a review of the medical literature on testosterone . . . The summary of their article states: “Recent studies have demonstrated that hypogonadism [low testosterone] in men . . .is strongly associated with metabolic syndrome, and may be a risk factor for type 2 diabetes and cardio-vascular disease.”
 
   Clinical studies have shown that testosterone replacement therapy in hypogonadal men improves metabolic syndrome indicators and cardiovascular risk factors. Maintaining testosterone concentrations in the normal range has been shown to contribute to bone health, lean muscle mass, and physical and sexual function, suggesting that testosterone replacement therapy may help to prevent frailty in older men. (1)
 

Cardiovascular Health

 
     A recent study, men with ischemic heart disease and low testosterone levels reported that exercise time and the time to development of ischemic changes on a treadmill test were both increased with testosterone therapy. The study suggests that increasing testosterone levels may improve the symptoms of coronary artery disease. (2)
 
   Another placebo-controlled study found that 12 weeks of increasing testosterone levels improved the ability of the brachial artery to dilate in men with coronary artery disease, suggesting an improvement in endothelial function. (3)
 

Diabetes

 
     Restoring testosterone to youthful ranges may confer a wide array of benefits to men affected by type 2 diabetes. The reported benefits of increased testosterone levels include improved glucose homeostasis (balanced sugar levels), reduction in abdominal fat and improved erectile function. (4)
 
     Likewise, scientists believe that testosterone replenishment may help reverse some of the key biochemical abnormalities that underlie metabolic syndrome, such as insulin resistance and central obesity. (5,6)
 

Cognitive Abilities

 
   Testosterone supplementation clearly seems to be beneficial for proper male mental and verbal function. Several studies have shown that short term testosterone administration exerts a beneficial effect on spatial and verbal memory and enhances cognitive function in healthy men.(7 – 10)
 
   According to the National Institute on Aging (NIA) older men with higher levels of free, or unbound, testosterone circulating in their bloodstreams have better visual and verbal recall and perform spatial tasks more adeptly than their peers. (19)
 
For more information on testosterone, health and clinical studies, please refer to the Special Report: The Testosterone Report
 
References:
 
1.Miner MM, Seftel AD. Testosterone and ageing: what have we learned since the Institute of Medicine report and what lies ahead? Int J Clin Pract. 2007 Apr;61(4):622-32
2. Malkin CJ, Pugh PJ, Morris PD, et al. Testosterone replacement in hypogonadal men with angina improves ischaemic threshold and quality of life. Heart. 2004 Aug;90(8):871-6.
3. Kang SM, Jang Y, Kim JY, et al. Effect of oral administration of testosterone on brachial arterial vasoreactivity in men with coronary artery disease. Am J Cardiol. 2002 Apr 1;89(7):862-4.
4 . Fukui M, Kitagawa Y, Ose H, Hasegawa G, Yoshikawa T, Nakamura N. Role of endogenous androgen against insulin resistance and athero- sclerosis in men with type 2 diabetes. Curr Diabetes Rev. 2007 Feb;3(1):25-31.
5. Spark RF. Testosterone, diabetes mellitus, and the metabolic syndrome. Curr Urol Rep. 2007 Nov;8(6):467-71.
6. Kalyani RR, Dobs AS. Androgen deficiency, diabetes, and the metabolic syndrome in men. Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes. 2007 Jun;14(3):226-34.
7. Cherrier MM, Asthana S, Plymate S, et al. Testosterone supplementation improves spatial and verbal memory in healthy older men. Neurology. 2001 Jul 10;57(1):80-8.
8. Cherrier MM, Anawalt BD, Herbst KL, et al. Cognitive effects of short-term manipulation of serum sex steroids in healthy young men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2002 Jul;87(7):3090-6.
9. Cherrier MM, Craft S, Matsumoto AH. Cognitive changes associated with supplementation of testosterone or dihydrotestosterone in mildly hypogonadal men: a preliminary report. J Androl. 2003 Jul;24(4):568-76.
10. Cherrier MM, Plymate S, Mohan S, et al. Relationship between testosterone supplementation and insulin-like growth factor-I levels and cognition in healthy older men.
11. National Institute on Aging (NIA), November 4, 2002