Andropause, or “Late Onset Hypogonadism,” occurs in men around the ages of 35-45. Symptoms include low testosterone, muscle weakness, erectile dysfunction, poor memory and depression. Therapy is directed towards restoring normal testosterone levels with bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, and restoring natural testosterone production.
As the American population lives longer now than ever, a rise in cases of low testosterone is inevitable. Testosterone naturally decreases as we age. What makes this so complex is the role of the environment. The news media is full of stories regarding the problems of plastics on normal hormone production. A troubling study was published in Envronmental Health Perspectives that showed boys who were exposed to plastics in the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit had dramatically reduced testosterone. Link 1 Link 2
With the elevated exposure of plastics and the increased longevity of our population, low testosterone has become a common condition, but is often underdiagnosed and under-treated. The indication of testosterone-replacement therapy (TRT) treatment requires the presence of low testosterone levels and symptoms and signs of hypogonadism. Reports indicate that TRT produces a wide range of benefits for men with hypogonadism that include improvement in libido and sexual function, bone density, muscle mass, body composition, mood, red blood cell counts, cognition, quality of life and cardiovascular disease.
There has been concern that testosterone replacement causes prostate cancer; however, this concern has no meical evidence to support it. Link 3
Our approach at Protea includes complete lab work, including testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, estrogen, prostate specific antigen, fasting lipids, follicle stimulating hormone and leutinizing hormone. We order imaging studies to get to the bottom of why you may be producing low testosterone, and then treat it in an individualized way specific to your needs.
Dr. McCarthy can be reached at 480-557-9095
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