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Testosterone Increasingly Being Used To Fight Aging In Men
An anonymous reader writes: In this time of advanced technology, our battle against aging isn't going well. Lifespan has been improved quite a bit through halting numerous diseases and improving nutrition, but medical science is struggling to slow the gradual wear and tear that builds up as we get older. Cutting edge treatment theories are all hellishly complex, so many men are turning to a solution that's been with us for 80 years: testosterone. Clinics are popping up around the U.S. that prescribe no actual medicine, but instead hand out testosterone and supplements. "In 2013, 14,000 kilograms of testosterone were sold in the United States. That might not sound like much, but a typical adult male has just 0.000000035 kilograms of testosterone floating around in his bloodstream. There is a lot of extra T in the hormonal composition of the country—and it only accounts for the legal sales."
John Hoberman, professor and author, calls this new medical model "client-centered libertarian medicine." He says, "Once upon a time, respectable society feared contamination by illegal and disreputable drugs that were consumed by social deviants. Now regulators are concerned about a growing demand for legal drugs that serve socially sanctioned goals such as productivity, physical attractiveness, and sexual viability. The 'threat' posed by such drugs originates in the very system of values that sanctions their use, and it is a paradox that has put regulators in an untenable position."
John Hoberman, professor and author, calls this new medical model "client-centered libertarian medicine." He says, "Once upon a time, respectable society feared contamination by illegal and disreputable drugs that were consumed by social deviants. Now regulators are concerned about a growing demand for legal drugs that serve socially sanctioned goals such as productivity, physical attractiveness, and sexual viability. The 'threat' posed by such drugs originates in the very system of values that sanctions their use, and it is a paradox that has put regulators in an untenable position."
Sorry but no. First off, body builders aren't taking testosterone. There are much better steroids out there (or "gear" in musclehead parlance). Nobody who wants to bulk up would ever take testosterone. It's just not worth it in terms of expense, difficulty of acquisition and frequency of dosing.
Secondly, you should look into the three major global testosterone studies. There have been 3 studies since the 1980's. The results: Testosterone levels in the developed world (but not emerging markets) have plunged almost 30% over the past few decades.
That means you. (Assuming you're of the XY persuasion).
You can blame a combination of water recycling (and women on the pill), ubiquitous soy in our foods, statin drugs, plastic water bottles and more.
The irrefutable evidence is that testosterone levels in America, Europe and Japan have tanked. The question that policy makers and physicians are asking is, "should we care?"
I think probably, yes. But to each his own.
Testosterone supplementation in men with low T levels appears to have the unfortunate side effect of death.
There is a growing literature on the potential dangers of testosterone supplementation. Not enough yet to say it's as clearly a bad idea as female HRT, but for sure it isn't something men should run out and do without a careful and personalized discussion with a knowledgeable (actual) doctor.
In general I think it's safe to say that the "take extra of the hormones that go down with age in some people" theory of fighting aging is pretty thoroughly discredited by now. Thyroid hormone, growth hormone, testosterone, estrogen, etc. - the science is clear this is not how you fight aging. In general, more likely to hasten death than prevent it.
Wasn't there a 60 minute special on this exact thing within the last 5 years? Showed that you increase chances of cell dividing incorrectly and thus can produce cancer? (specifically, prostate cancer)
There is considerable evidence that testosterone actually DECREASES male lifespan, perhaps by as much as 20 years. For example, from a very well controlled study on the lifespans of Korean eunichs: http://www.sciencedirect.com/s...: "The average lifespan of eunuchs was 70.0 ± 1.76 years, which was 14.4–19.1 years longer than the lifespan of non-castrated men of similar socio-economic status. Our study supports the idea that male sex hormones decrease the lifespan of men." I entirely support having the choice to take testosterone, for whatever reason one would like. I have a friend who's life has been quite improved by testosterone treatment, in fact. BUT taking T to help with unspecific effects of aging is a dangerous experiment and fad and people should be aware that there are likely to be some very serious and unforeseen consequences. I managed to talk my aging father out of this treatment, and as a consequence I just may be able to enjoy his company for years to come. Any doctor who suggests taking T to prolong lifespan is either critically misinformed or displaying severe lack of judgement, imo. And the author of that paper, who keeps referring to T as a magic wand? He is an idiot. I'm not a medical doctor but I am a PhD and I have done studies on the effects of sex hormones on animals. It's not clear why testosterone might decrease the lifespan of men, but one likely candidate is the fact that testosterone clearly decreases immune system function.
That goes for cocaine as well, and any other substance abuse.
I think anyone should have the right to snort, shoot or smoke anything they like, and that the government should curtail the use of drugs only in exceptional cases:
- Use of the substance causes a clear danger to others (like drugs that turn you into an axe wielding maniac after 1 hit)
- Use of the substance causes a clear danger to users (such as highly addictive drugs or drugs causing damage: marihuana / alcohol and minors)
In such cases the government should step in, if:
- The number of problem cases far outweighs the number of normally functioning users, and
- The proposed controls are effective in reducing the number of problem cases, and
- The effects of the proposed controls outweigh the undesired side effects of the controls (such as the impact on responsible users)
Of course, one man's undesired side effects (such as regular pot smokers being jailed) are another man's bonus side effects.
If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
Somebody is selling snake oil again. Testosterone may have subjectively beneficial short-term effects (virility, muscle tone, etc), but all current evidence is that it shortens your lifespan.
Studies of eunuchs have shown that they live substantially longer than non-castrated men. That's just one link; anyone with a bit of Google-fu will find others. For example, higher levels of testosterone are thought to be a reason that men have shorter lifespans than women.
Enjoy life! This is not a dress rehearsal.
Curious about those studies. Were they age-controlled or survey of the general (ageing) population?