Men with low levels of the male hormone testosterone have problems with erections, are weaker and more easily fatigued than men with normal levels of testosterone. However, these symptoms are also part of the normal aging process. So how do you know if your symptoms are due to low testosterone or are just related to getting older?
A study that was published over the summer in the New England Journal of Medicine helped to answer this question. The researchers studied over 3000 average men older than 40 to help determine which had low testosterone. All men studied were given a questionnaire that asked about symptoms commonly related to low testosterone levels, and each had their testosterone checked.
In Men:
At the age of 35 men begin losing their testosterone about 1% every year, by the time you get to your 50’s you will start to have:
- Low libido
- Feeling tired
- Memory loss
- You don’t want to socialize
Bringing all these issues to the attention of your doctor he/she might prescribe:
Testosterone
- Gel
- Injections
- Patch
However, prior to starting any testosterone therapy make sure you set an appointment to speak with your Urologist. The Urologist will test your PSA (prostate-specific antigen) to ensure you’re within normal levels, check your prostate size, and testosterone levels. Testosterone is typically checked early in the morning due to circadian rhythm which means, your testosterone is typically lower in the afternoon and higher in the morning. A normal testosterone level is anywhere between 300 – 1000 ng/dl (nanograms per decilitre).
What does this mean?
“If you have any of the symptoms listed above, you should discuss this with your doctor. He/she will likely do a blood test to see if your testosterone levels are the cause of the symptoms. Even if your testosterone is normal, men with sexual difficulty have been found to have other problems, including heart disease. So either way, it’s good to let your doctor know”, says Dr. Samadi, Chairman of the Department of Urology and Chief of Robotics at Lenox Hill Hospital.
