Are Low-T Drugs Putting Patients At High Risk?

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NORTH TEXAS (CBS 11 NEWS) Lost your appetite for romance? You might not just be getting older. You might have a treatable condition called low testosterone, the ad says. They are everywhere on TV, radio and even on the side of Central Expressway in Dallas.

Ads for a legitimate condition called Low Testosterone or Low-T. But lately, doctors say more and more people are using it and some might not even need it.

Dr. Ujis Gruntmanis an associate professor of Endocrinology at the UT Southwestern Medical Center says hes seen an influx of patients at his own practice. I think too many men are getting it and too many men who dont need it are getting it, he says.

He may be onto something a recent study out of UT Galveston shows testosterone replacement therapy patients almost tripled from 2001 to 2011

Testosterone is a hormone in the human body and Low-T is condition when the testosterone levels fall dangerously low. The levels generally fall with age and research shows that it can be steadied with an active lifestyle. Testosterone helps maintain mens bone density, fat distribution, muscle strength and sex drive. Patients of LowT can get the hormone using gels, injections and patches.

Many people have benefited from testosterone therapy like Robert Trasatti from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, who says it helped increase his sex drive and focus.

But another Pennsylvania native, 51-year-old, Ed Downes says his life changed for the worse. I thought it might be something good for me, he says. But two years ago, he suffered a stroke. He blames the testosterone gel he was using for his condition.

Original post:
Are Low-T Drugs Putting Patients At High Risk?

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