Low Testosterone Testing and Treatment
Testosterone is a naturally occurring sex hormone that dominates the male reproductive system. Secreted by the testes in men (and, to a lesser degree, the ovaries of women), testosterone plays a major role in the development of male characteristics during puberty, such as deepening of the voice, hair growth on the chest, muscular enhancement, and penis/testicle size.
In adult men, this hormone directly affects strength, vitality, mental well-being, motivation, and libido; it may also be linked to cardiovascular health, blood sugar, bone density, and overall life expectancy. Testosterone levels tend to decline gradually after age 30, which sometimes correlates to decreased fertility, a drop in sex drive, low energy, depression, weakness, and other symptoms.
About Low Testosterone Testing
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, Dr. Laub would first want to rule out the possible influence of diabetes, depression, high blood pressure, or coronary heart disease. At that point, he will recommend and perform low testosterone testing, which requires a blood draw, to determine your testosterone levels.
The normal testosterone range for men is approximately 300 to 900 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL). Overall levels of 200 ng/dL or lower may be indicative of aging-related decline or caused by other various conditions, including:
- Hypogonadism (hormonal disorder)
- Testicular injury or cancer
- HIV/AIDS
- Chronic liver or kidney disease
- Type 2 diabetes
- Obesity/weight issues
- Systemic or local infection
- Genetic conditions
- Certain medications
If your overall levels are normal, but you are still experiencing symptoms, Dr. Laub will then test for free testosterone to measure how much of this hormone is active in your body. This will help provide the most complete picture of your health issues.
Low Testosterone Treatment Options
Treatment for low overall or free testosterone is focused on bringing hormone levels back up to normal. Sometimes this can be achieved naturally by making simple lifestyle changes like moderate weight loss and increased physical activity.
In other cases, Dr. Laub may recommend testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), which delivers gonadotropin by: muscle injection every few weeks; daily skin patch or cream application; nasal gel; or implantable, timed-release pellets.
TRT should not be administered to patients with breast cancer, known or suspected prostate cancer, or heart, liver, or kidney disease.
Because of potential steroidal side effects, such as a possible increased risk of prostate cancer, elevated red blood cell count which could lead to blood clots, stroke, sleep apnea, acne, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and breast enlargement, any patients receiving TRT will be carefully monitored with follow-up blood tests by Dr. Laub’s staff to assess how they are responding to treatment.
However, the benefits of TRT can include: increase bone density and muscle mass, higher sex drive, better sexual performance, improved mental outlook, more energy, and greater motivation.
Contact our office if you are experiencing symptoms and would like to explore low testosterone testing and treatment.