TESTOSTERONE ESSENTIAL FOR MEN AND WOMEN

It sounds like the voice of doom asking you, Do you have low testosterone? in a television commercial that is seemingly repeated over and over.

Low testosterone, however, can be a serious malady, but one that can be easily treated.

Testosterone is a sex steroid hormone. In men it is mostly produced in the testis and in women it is produced for the most part in their adrenal glands and ovaries. Men produce about 100 times more testosterone than women.

Men need youthful levels of this hormone for not only maintaining muscle tone, but especially for the cardiac muscle. With low levels, men are more prone to heart failure, said Dr. Brenda Marshall, a hormone expert based in Solana Beach. Men also need testosterone for sexual drive and function, and for mental spark or energy. Women need testosterone for maintenance of muscle tone, bone density, physical energy and a feeling of well-being.

In men and women, it is responsible for creating and burning fuel and energy.

Testosterone has two areas of major benefits, said Dr. Stephen Center, a hormone expert with offices in San Diego. One is that it is anabolic; anabolic hormones promote protein synthesis, which means building muscles, making the heart pump more strongly, repairing damage as it occurs in the body. Think of it as a construction crew or civil engineering in the city. Thats what testosterone does.

Some of the symptoms of low testosterone in men include weight gain around the waist, decreased muscle tone and mass, decreased energy and drive, decreased libido and poor sleep. In women, low testosterone results in decreased energy, muscle tone and bone loss.

It should be noted that these symptoms can cross over from a variety of other medical issues, including low thyroid, low levels of serotonin, dopamine or B-vitamin deficiencies, said Marshall. So one should not make a cavalier assumption, but rather taking a holistic look at all avenues prior to beginning treatment is essential.

Physical ailments arent the only symptoms people should look out for when wondering if their testosterone levels are too low. Symptoms of low testosterone levels can affect one mentally, too.

A feeling of loss of control in stressful situations is really common with low testosterone, Center said. People feel overwhelmed by lifes events and dont feel capable of responding in a proactive way.

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TESTOSTERONE ESSENTIAL FOR MEN AND WOMEN

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