What organs do testosterone affect?

Testosterone is a sex hormone that plays important roles in the body. In men, it's thought to regulate sex drive (libido), bone mass, fat distribution, muscle mass and strength, and the production of red blood cells and sperm.

nih.gov - Understanding How Testosterone Affects Men

Can I shower with a catheter bag?

Leave your bag or valve attached to the catheter while showering. If you have a leg bag, it must be kept below the level of your bladder at all...

Last updated Feb 23, 2019

What food should be avoided for zinc?

If you are taking zinc, the following foods should be avoided or taken 2 hours after you take zinc: Bran. Fiber-containing foods. Phosphorus-...

Last updated Jul 24, 2021

Promotion

Understanding How Testosterone Affects Men

The complex effects of testosterone, investigators found, depend partly on its conversion in the body to a type of estrogen. The insights will help guide the development of better ways to diagnose and treat men who don’t produce enough natural testosterone. Testosterone is a sex hormone that plays important roles in the body. In men, it’s thought to regulate sex drive (libido), bone mass, fat distribution, muscle mass and strength, and the production of red blood cells and sperm. A small amount of circulating testosterone is converted to estradiol, a form of estrogen. As men age, they often make less testosterone, and so they produce less estradiol as well. Thus, changes often attributed to testosterone deficiency might be partly or entirely due to the accompanying decline in estradiol. Testosterone was first used as a clinical drug as early as 1937, but with little understanding of its mechanisms. The hormone is now widely prescribed to men whose bodies naturally produce low levels. But the levels at which testosterone deficiency become medically relevant still aren’t well understood. Normal testosterone production varies widely in men, so it’s difficult to know what levels have medical significance. The hormone’s mechanisms of action are also unclear. A team led by Dr. Joel Finkelstein at Massachusetts General Hospital investigated testosterone and estradiol levels in 400 healthy men, 20 to 50 years of age. To control hormone levels, the researchers first gave the participants injections of a drug that suppressed their normal testosterone and estradiol production. The men were randomly assigned to 5 groups that received different amounts (from 0 to 10 grams) of a topical 1% testosterone gel daily for 16 weeks. Half of the participants were also given a drug to block testosterone from being converted to estradiol. The participants were seen every 4 weeks. Blood was taken to measure hormone levels, and questionnaires were given to assess physical function, health status, vitality, and sexual function. Body fat and muscle measurements were also taken at the beginning and end of the 16 weeks. The study was funded in part by NIH’s National Institute on Aging (NIA) and National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Results appeared in the September 12, 2013, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. The researchers found that the dose of testosterone required to produce different effects in the body varied widely. The influence of testosterone and estradiol also differed. As the testosterone gel dose was reduced, the scientists showed, reductions in lean mass, muscle size, and leg-press strength resulted from decreases in testosterone itself. In contrast, increases in body fat were due to the related declines in estradiol. Both testosterone and estradiol levels were associated with libido and erectile function. “This study establishes testosterone levels at which various physiological functions start to become impaired, which may help provide a rationale for determining which men should be treated with testosterone supplements,” Finkelstein says. “But the biggest surprise was that some of the symptoms routinely attributed to testosterone deficiency are actually partially or almost exclusively caused by the decline in estrogens that is an inseparable result of lower testosterone levels.” The researchers are conducting follow-up clinical trials to address the effects of testosterone replacement both on the measures in this study and others, such as bone and prostate health.

— by Harrison Wein, Ph.D.

Does turmeric help with sleep?

Turmeric is hailed as a common medicinal spice, part of the ginger family, and can be used to aid the quality of sleep whilst also lowering anxiety...

Last updated Dec 11, 2018

What girls notice first?

First Things A Woman Notices About A Man Scent. Your overall smell – body odor, cologne and breath. ... Hair. The type of haircut and style you...

Last updated Oct 5, 2021

Promotion

Should I take saw palmetto once or twice a day?

For early-stage BPH, 160 mg per day of liposterolic saw palmetto herbal extract in capsules is taken two times per day. One trial suggested that...

Last updated Nov 5, 2022

What should I eat in the morning if I have high cholesterol?

Start Your Day Right: 8 Healthy Breakfast Ideas to Lower Your Cholesterol Oatmeal. Almond milk. Avocado toast. Egg white scramble. Orange juice....

Last updated Jun 12, 2020

Promotion

Does caffeine make prostatitis worse?

If you have urinary or pain symptoms due to prostatitis, caffeine can make these symptoms worse. If you have BPH or prostatitis, make an effort to...

Last updated Nov 10, 2019

Promotion

Is curcumin better than fish oil?

Fish oil beats curcumin for brain & heart health biomarker improvements in older people. Supplementation with fish oil, but not curcumin, may...

Last updated Jan 21, 2022