Men with low testosterone levels may suffer from more than just low energy and lack of sexual desire.
Researchers from Australia and Europe found that men who had low sex hormone levels below normal limits were up to 10 percent more likely to die from any cause compared to men who were within a normal range.
The hormone keeps muscles strong and reduces fat, which likely protects against diseases associated with obesity, as well as falls and injuries, according to researchers.
Doctors have drawn attention to a “silent epidemic” affecting men with very low levels of testosterone: male menopause or “manopause.”
As with women, the term is used to describe the period of an adult man’s life in which his hormone levels drop, causing a series of symptoms that destroy the sufferer’s confidence or are downright debilitating, such as dysfunction erectile dysfunction, depression, anxiety and rapid fat gain.
Lower than normal testosterone levels can lead to low sex drive, lack of energy, loss of muscle mass, and irritability.
Previous studies have shown contradictory and inconsistent findings on the influence of sex hormones on aging men.
However, the most recent review of 11 studies consisting of more than 24,000 men provides more clues.
A normal range for testosterone in men is 300 to 1,000 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL).
The researchers found that men with less than 213 ng/dL of testosterone had a higher risk of all-cause mortality and men with less than 153 ng/dL had a higher risk of dying from heart disease.
The team added that very low testosterone concentrations could also indicate that someone has another health problem, such as diabetes, HIV, autoimmune diseases, chemotherapy or excessive alcohol consumption, leading to a higher risk of mortality.
He studypublished in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, found that men with testosterone levels of 244 ng/dL or less were up to nine percent more likely to die from any cause compared to men in the study with levels ranging between 340 and 706.
Men with low T were up to 32 percent more likely to die from cardiovascular disease compared to the other men included in the study.
Testosterone is a male sex hormone produced in the testes and is responsible for the development and maintenance of male sexual characteristics, such as the prostate, testicles, and libido, as well as increased muscle and bone mass and the growth of body hair. .
Lower than normal levels of the hormone can cause low sexual desire, lack of energy, depression, loss of muscle mass, erectile dysfunction, infertility, lack of sleep, and irritability.
There are many reasons why a man would have low T levels, including damage to the testicles or pituitary gland, obesity, genetic disorders, diabetes, or normal aging.
Testosterone therapy can partially reverse these symptoms and involves introducing supplemental testosterone into the body in several ways: skin patches, gels, tablets, or injections.
To naturally increase testosterone, some men can exercise more and lift weights, increase vitamin D intake, minimize stress, get enough sleep, and limit alcohol intake.
There is no exact number for how many men suffer from low T, medically known as hypogonadism, but several professional medical organizations estimate that it affects between two and five percent of American men.
It was previously thought that raising testosterone levels could increase someone’s risk of having a stroke or heart attack, but the overall role of testosterone in men’s health has been debated.
But a 2023 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found holes in this belief.
Researchers That study found testosterone replacement therapy in men with low T levels. did not increase the risk of someone dying from a heart attack.
