Slashdot Mirror
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."
No, it's low T&A.
AKA, under-regulated.
What percentage of Americans has artificially low testosterone as a result of statin drugs? A little extra T might be good for an emasculated male population. How many millions of American men were chemically castrated by doctors who convinced them that cholesterol wasn't necessary? Glad to hear that men are at least interested in becoming male again.
Tunning into an infomercial food suppliment quackery site, are we? This is a new low, even for slashdot. Did Dice put you up to this or are you just giving free advertising to any shit that comes along now?
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
Estrogen given to a patient is medicine, what is different for testosterone? Is he making some sort of Paleo marketing ploy or does he mean that the product isn't going through the medical approval process?
It decreases fertility, enlarges the prostate, and causes other issues.
excitingthingstodo.blogspot.com
"client-centered libertarian medicine." is how assholes pronounce the words "snake oil" and It lives on the shelf with things like homeopathic remedies and juice cleansing. Testosterone, multi-inhaler asthma treatments, statin deficiency,and Circadian Dysrhythmia are all part of pharmaceutical corporations nose dive into profit with the concept of fear, forever and faith. Fear the disease, remember that once you have it you must always consume the product to relieve it, and finally never doubt your trust or faith in the product despite overwhelming evidence it may even be detrimental to your health.
people become old as a part of human life. Testosterone does not radically alter that condition because becoming old is not a problem but a feature of life itself. In the United states as we inch inexorably closer to single payer healthcare its becoming increasingly evident to medical corporations that an alternate revenue stream will need to be secured. As an example, cigarette manufacturers diversified into food and alcohol; they realize relatively little revenue from cancer sticks at all.
Good people go to bed earlier.
If you lift weights you can boost your testosterone naturally. And you'll get other benefits like more strength, increased bone density and better balance. You don't have to be Jack LaLanne (though he provided an excellent example). You just need to put your body under stress for 30 - 60 minutes 2 - 3 times a week; in a way that is safe for one's age, obviously.
Regular exercise and a healthy diet can go a long way towards staying healthy and living longer. But we knew that already and still many of us do not do it. There's still the testosterone shot, I guess...
"What the American public doesn't know is what makes them the American public." -Ray Zalinsky (Tommy Boy)
Maybe not entirely. Here's a recent article about fake supplements: http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
Regulation, apparently, has its part to play.
From the article:
"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."
That means that enough testosterone was produced to increase the amount of testosterone in *every* man in the world by 200 times. WOW! I wonder what the effects are of a 1000x increase...that some men must be getting?
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.
As a physician, I have seen the growth of the testosterone industry over the past decade. This has been pushed by direct to consumer advertising by big Pharma, which fails to adequately inform the target population of the significant risks. Co-opted endocrinologists have been paid to create a new syndrome called "andropause" which can be treated with testosterone. We learned the risks of estrogen in post menopausal women only after many years, and we now are set to repeat the same story with cardiovascular disease, prostate problems, and stroke in men. Why can't we just age gracefully?
http://www.drugwatch.com/testosterone/heart-attack/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3901445/
It gives me warm and fuzzies plus I can concentrate like a demon.
Low testosterone, aging, and loss of lean muscle mass, fat gain, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, low libido all correlate. Because testosterone supplementation improves some of these problems somewhat, people have concluded that they might be caused by low testosterone. But they are clearly caused simply by bad diet and lack of exercise, and you're likely going to improve your overall health much more by exercising and eating better. Exercise and improvements in diet will also naturally increase your testosterone levels.
Once you start taking testosterone, you usually end up dependent on it for life. That means not just applying it every day, it means more frequent checkups, monitoring for side effects, and pretty tough questions when you start getting prostate problems and cancer (which you will, sooner or later).
Trying to fix what are just bad lifestyle choices in most men (lack of exercise, too much sitting, bad diet) with medicine (statins, testosterone, etc.) also puts an enormous strain on our medical system and is one of the reasons the US spends so much money on health care: the cost of testosterone replacement is usually several hundred dollars a month for the drug alone, plus even more money for the extra monitoring and tests. Insurance may currently cover that, but don't bet on it in the future. And even if it covers it, you still end up with co-pays, frequent trips to the doctor, and potential complications and additional drugs to deal with side effects.
(Of course, some small percentage of men really do have abnormally low or absent testosterone due to actual disease, and for those, supplementation makes sense.)
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)
I'm not sure that the reason that women live longer is specifically due to their hormones (or lack of male hormones). There are still considerably different social expectations between the sexes in terms of risk taking and aggression even putting aside natural inclinations. That alone might account for the difference.
Not to mention that women suffer from a drop in estrogen production at menopause, so they likely have a deficiency of that hormone when they are old enough for it to make a difference.
It may be a lifetime of a demeanor influenced by high levels of estrogen that is responsible for living longer, but I don't think that testosterone is necessarily contraindicated, especially since men start to produce less of that, as well, as they get older. It may simply be learning to control the aggression or other effects of that hormone in practice.
This baloney doesn't belong on the front page of slashdot anymore than homeopathic anecdote or anti-vaccine propaganda. There will always be some asshole who will sell you something useless to not fix a perceive problem you think you have. We shouldn't give these charlatans a megaphone to spout their sales pitch.
You do realize that men and women have significant differences in their biology, right? What may be ideal for women's health may not be ideal for men's health. Also, the goal doesn't appear to be extending lifespan so much as improving quality of life.
This is my signature. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
Why do humans feel the need to fight every issue that arises?
Can't we simply say that we have a problem that requires a solution?
We fight hunger, fight poverty, fight disease, fight aging...
Perhaps if we, as a society, took a more harmonious attitude towards our worldly problems then perhaps we could finally stop "fighting" our problems and actually come up with solutions for them.
Attitude is everything.
Political correctness is really just herd psychology pushed by insecure people who desperately seek social conformity.
In most males with low T is T being regulated down, can the equipment just not produce enough T. In other words is my house cold because the thermostat is set too low, or is the furnace too small?
List_of_countries_by_life_expectancy on wikipedia. We are 36 or so based on WHO and 40+ based on any other stat. Also, a product being legal does not make it popular or prescribed to the majority
This kind of thing, in a small but significant way, starts to tip the social balance further in favor of males who are wealthy enough/risk tolerant enough to take a chance on this kind of thing to dominate against younger males.
On the side of the wealthier males, it could tend to change certain workplace dynamics. Not sure what exactly that would do, but without economic growth, it could lead to slightly more workplace conflict.
On the risk tolerant side, I see a risk of widespread increases in antisocial behavior as young, aggressive males amp-up their natural tendencies. Violence and crime are likely results. Given that we're already past the societal stage where we kill off lower-class males in wars of attrition, we're going to be facing an unprecedented dynamic with larger numbers of aggressive males than society is accustomed to.
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.
It's not being taken to extend life, it's being taken in the hope that it makes the person feel younger and stronger.
14,000kg = 14,000,000g = 14,000,000,000 mg
HRT dose ranges from 100-200mg/wk for legitimate use. (500-1000mg/wk for recreational)
14,000kg / (100mg/wk * 52wk)
= 2,692,307 people at 100mg/wk for 1 year
= 1,346,153 people at 200mg/wk for 1 year
= 673,076 people at 400mg/wk for 1 year
First doctor was lazy in Rx writing and just wrote 1mL 2x/wk (which renders a Rx for 400mg/wk)
Even though verbal instructions were 1mL every 5 days (250mg/wk)
Please elaborate on the "clear dangers" of marijuana...
While this might seem like it reduces aging, US is 45th or 46th in life expectancy globally. Other countries are not using these treatments, and men live an extra 10-12 years in some of them
Ugg, So much wrong info. 1st US is 36th in life expectancy, 2nd our neighbors to the north, Canada lives 2.7 years longer and they're #11. So as you can see there's a not really a difference in living 3 more years yet those 3 years span 25 other countries. Taking these treatments isn't going to kill you that much faster.
I laughed at the weak who considered themselves good because they lacked claws.
You can burn your fingers if you're not very good with a lighter.
You're a temporary arrangement of matter sliding towards oblivion in a cold, uncaring universe
> In such cases the government should step in, if:
> - The number of problem cases far outweighs the number of normally functioning users, and
I wonder if we can make this a bit more specific and clear. You said "the number of problem cases", but I wonder if you meant "the direct and indirect effects of problem cases". Here's why I say that:
Suppose that smoking Z has limited negative effects on 90% of users. Perhaps most just get lazy and unmotivated. However, 10% of users commit mass murder. Going strictly by the words you wrote, substance Z shouldn't be regulated - most users don't become dangerous. The people who are not dangerous ARE however killed by the 10% who go postal. That would be a problem.
why did i post before reading this, and thus lose the ability to mod :(
There have been several studies now that suggest that marijuana use, particularly heavy use, among minors (prior to early twenties, while the brain is still developing ) cause a drop in intelligence and significant structural brain changes of unknown impact.
Still wouldn't be my go-to drug to reference for "clear dangers" - the only clear dangers that spring to mind are are those shared by alcohol - the perceived safety, combined the proclivity for doing stupid things under the influence. Granted alcohol is a lot more likely to get you into life-threatening situations, but some puritan parents might consider getting laid to be similarly dangerous to their precious indoctrinated babies.
Beyond that there's always the old saw the "Marijuana is hazardous to your health - it can cause your ass to be thrown in jail" - which is in fact probably by far the greatest danger of the drug, and a very real danger at that.
--- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pu... [Effect of fluoride on human hypothalamus-hypophysis-testis axis hormones].
(PubMed)
RESULTS:
"The concentrations of fluoride in the water, food and soil of the fluoride polluted district were significantly higher than those of control district (P 0.05). The serum level of LH in men of fluoride polluted district was significantly higher than that of control group (P 0.05), and the serum level of T in men of fluoride polluted district was significantly less than that of control group (P 0.05). "
"You wanna piece of me, sonny! "
Around here we call this senior discount Wednesday at Kroger.
Devil's advocate here. Life expectancy has steadily increased despite all that bad stuff. Both in the US http://demog.berkeley.edu/~and... and worldwide http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L...
If you want to age gracefully and not take steps to repair age-related problems, then go for it.
I know that life is finite. But all things considered, I prefer to postpone death, and make the interim time as pleasant as possible. That's why I do things like exercise, eat properly, and go to the dentist. And if there is a fix to an age-related illness or problem, then I'm all for it. The hard part is figuring out what is real, and understanding the trade-offs.
The mere concept of 'artificial' is a fabrication, and we have a number of ways that our lives have objectively improved. Also, there was a lot of awful stuff 50 years ago, including leaded fuel.
This is my signature. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
List_of_countries_by_life_expectancy on wikipedia
Flawed list using flawed data that, even if you trusted it, doesn't properly account for differences in the tracking of infant mortality.
...have you never wondered why I drink only distilled water, or rainwater, and only pure-grain alcohol?
True story, well if you can believe my dentist, but she seems very rational person. She said her brother had started selling a wrist watch that was used to combat ADD, basically is would vibrate and give an "atta boy" message when the child got off track, it was remote controlled by the teacher FYI. It was about as intrusive as a digimon watch. So he started selling them, but eventually got a cease and desist letter from the FDA for selling an untested medical device. When he later spoke with an FDA insider, he was supposedly told drug companies got wind of the device and turned him in, along with applying a little influence, to get him shut down. I think the day may have come to limit the FDA to verifying the purity of the drug or substance you are buying, but not make decisions on it's proper use. Maybe something closer to a medical research wiki with verification of information sources (so companies couldn't falsely claim results). Maybe the FDA could monitor the checks and balances of such a system or something. Over all the system would be less like "buy my anti balding pill" and more like research has shown chemical X reverses baldness, and the following companies sell chemical X and compete on prices. Drugs would become de-facto generics in most cases.
"0.000000035 kilograms"
W.T.F.
That's almost as stupid as using imperial units.
0.000000000000035 gigagrams
There. I fixed it for you.
"The great thing about multitasking is that several things can go wrong at once." -me
Would a proper diagnosis of Low T, include the FSH and TH levels? Anything else to measure? Does insurance pay for GnRH? Wiki article gets into Leptin/Ghrelin as well. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H... ). Simply pushing pellets or topical gels seems really imprudent. We need to treat symptoms less and find out why there is an imbalance. Do Doctors have the support of insurance companies to run the proper tests?
Time for a new Political party in the US (or two!) One is off the rails Other cant pony up a leader.
14 tonnes, does that include or exclude the use of T for transgender folks?
I'm over 50 and plagued by some osteoarthritis from some serious injuries in my younger days.
I read some of the studies of testosterone use and discussed with my primary care physician. My thought that was if hormone therapy helped women cope with effects of aging, would it help for a man to take such. I had my testosterone levels checked and was prescribed androgel to increase my testosterone levels.
After six months of using Androgel I've halved the pain and anti-inflammatory medication taken for old knee and rotator cuff injuries. Yep, I think it helps with the effects of aging. Not turning me into a chippendale wannabe but making keeping up an exercise regimen much much easier.
A 50 something still going....
NRRPT/RCT