Testosterone is a hormone produced by men and women, but most often is called the "Male Sex Hormone."
Testosterone drives more than just your sex drive. In men, it affects physical appearance, mood, bone density, energy level, sex drive, muscle mass and more.
Testosterone deficiency, also known as low testosterone or Low-T, is defined as low levels of testosterone combined with a cluster of symptoms tied to low testosterone levels. If you don't have both symptoms and low levels of testosterone, testosterone treatment may not be right for you.
Being told you have low testosterone should come from your health care provider. A diagnosis calls for blood work, a review of your medical history and a physical exam.
It is estimated that several million men in the United States have low testosterone.
Testosterone Therapy is a treatment for Low-T. It comes in skin gels, shots, patches and pellets placed in the body. Skin gels are the most common form of testosterone therapy.
Research has shown that being overweight and having type 2 diabetes are linked to low testosterone. In one research study, 30% of overweight men had Low-T, compared to only 6.4% of those with normal weight. The same study found diabetes to be a risk factor for Low-T. In another study, 24.5% of men with diabetes had Low-T, compared to 12.6% of those without diabetes.
Myth: Low testosterone is a normal part of aging
Fact: Low testosterone can develop at any age for a number of reasons. As you get older, your testes naturally begin to produce less testosterone than they did when you were a teenager. But that does not mean you have low testosterone.
Myth: Low testosterone only affects a man's sex drive
Fact: While one of the first signs of low testosterone is loss of sex drive, low testosterone can be linked to mood swings, fatigue, low energy and a lack of drive to get up and do things.
For more information about testosterone deficiency, visit Urologyhealth.org/LowT