An Overview on Testosterone Therapy
Over the years, there has been a rising need for testosterone therapy and replacements around the globe. Like the estrogen hormone in women, testosterone levels drop in aging men. Besides maintaining physiology and androgenesis in men, testosterone plays a beneficial role in maintaining overall health and wellbeing. In the United States, there is a proliferation of testosterone therapy treatment by 500% since 1993.
What is Testosterone?
Testosterone plays a crucial role in the development of male phenotypes. Also known as the primary male sex hormone, testosterone plays a role in cognitive health, mood, sexuality, memory, and bone density.
Testosterone is essential in women’s health too. The body converts testosterone to estradiol, an estrogen hormone. Together with estrogen, testosterone supports women’s reproductive health, boosts body mass, and supports sexual function.
Testosterone and Age Decline
Hypogonadism is the clinical term for low testosterone in the body. It is also called andropause deficiency in the older men population.
Testosterone starts to peak during the adolescence period. Its level plunges gradually after the age of 30. However, a low quantity of testosterone is not always related to age. People who suffered from an injury, metabolic disorder (hemochromatosis), and infection in the reproductive system may exhibit low testosterone levels.
How to Conduct Testosterone Level Check / Hormone Test?
The normal serum total testosterone level is between 300 and 1000 ng/dL. Free testosterone and bio-available testosterone are more precise to do when total testosterone is not going with symptoms or we can use optimal total testosterone level (closed to upper one-third) Testosterone levels are checked by carrying out a blood test. Besides checking the testosterone levels, clinicians also evaluate the general well-being of the person prior to testosterone therapy. This includes performing other blood investigations such as performing complete blood count (CBC), prostate-specific antigen (PSA), metabolic tests, and female hormone levels for
women.
