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Pinoy Kasi By Michael L. Tan Philippine Daily Inquirer

Ive been working on a research project looking into young peoples use of chemicalsmedicines, supplements, cosmeticson their bodies, and one of the more alarming findings was the use of testosterone, including injectable forms.

We didnt actually find too widespread a use of these hormones, and I suspect its mainly because theyre expensive. But the Internet is full of advertisements for testosterone products, with claims of anti-aging, body-building and virility-enhancing properties, and I do worry about the peopleyoung or oldwho use these products.

Just last week, the journal PLoS (Public Library of Science) ONE published results of a large study involving almost 56,000 men who have used testosterone products between 2008 and 2010. The researchers, headed by William Finkle, reported a doubling of the rate of heart attacks in users aged 65 and older, as well as in younger men who had a history of heart disease at the time they used testosterone. I must mention the study has been criticized, but it has prompted the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate the many testosterone products being promoted and sold.

Let me first explain what testosterone is. People often use the term male hormone but testosterone is actually produced in both sexes, the levels being much higher in males than in females. The hormone is produced as early as during fetal development, allowing the male genitalia to develop after birth. After birth, testosterone retreats to the background, then production picks up again as puberty approaches, allowing secondary sexual characteristics such as further development of the genitalia, the appearance of body hair, a lowering of the voice even body odor. The body goes through dramatic changes, too, with the lanky teenager taking on muscles.

Raging hormones

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