Low Testosterone in the News

Low testosterone has come up in several news stories in the past month. The most recent one shows that the level of the male hormone drops in old age. The same study also shows that it varies depending on a person’s ethnicity and nationality. Testosterone is often known for its role in, as one reporter put it, making men men.

Have You Seen the Commercials for Low T?

The study comes on the heels of the commercials for Low T and caused doubts on the criteria for the diagnosis of male menopause, also known as andropause. The condition is normally characterized by a losing interest in sex. People commonly mistake this as a lack of interest in sex, which is the characteristic for Asexuality rather than a precursor for any medical condition.

Low T Symptoms

Lack of passion for your partner is one potential problem, but ABC News 7 in Chicago points out, there are other symptoms that the condition may cause. Mood swings and lack of energy are the most common. The report stated that hormone levels drop off in men as they age.

The problem with the tests and the increasing number of testosterone predictions is that there seems to be no baseline for what the normal levels of the male hormone is for men in each region and age group. Doctors and men must now struggle with a different question, especially when it comes to deciding whether a person suffers from low testosterone or if the condition is something that a sufferer must learn to live with.

Whether the condition of low testosterone is over diagnosed or undiagnosed is still up for debate. Many men who are at risk do not recognize the symptoms. In addition to fatigue, a decline in sex drive, and lack of energy, testosterone also controls muscle growth.

Testosterone levels normally drop as much as one to two percent per year after the body reaches 40. University of Chicago researchers studying the issue have found that younger men are increasingly likely to have low levels of the hormone than previously thought. The causes for the increase in hypoganadism, as the condition is also known, are not understood in younger men.