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Nathan Goodyear

Treatment of Men for "Low Testosterone": A Systematic Review - 0 views

  • Of 47 studies that assessed sexual function or satisfaction, 23 studies reported beneficial effects of testosterone treatment for at least 1 measure of sexual function or satisfaction,[6, 26, 35, 37, 40, 43–60] and 24 studies did not show testosterone-associated improvements in any sexual function endpoint
  • Of 31 studies that evaluated erectile function, 15 found no improvement with testosterone therapy
  • Twelve studies included men with ED; 8 found no benefit of testosterone over placebo
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  • Of 23 studies that specifically reported changes in libido, 13 found that testosterone treatment increased libido,[26, 35, 37, 45, 46, 54, 56, 60, 63, 65, 70, 77, 79] eight found no effect,
  • Eleven studies used the Aging Males’ Symptoms scale, which includes 3 questions on libido and sexual function. Five studies found no difference between testosterone and placebo on total scores,[26, 54, 57, 72, 76] and 4 studies found a benefit of testosterone
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    A systemic review of Testosterone benefit in men stirs the pot.  I can't say that I agree with the majority of their conclusions.  What I do agree with them on is that the majority of men on Testosterone therapy likely don't need it and are simply using Testosterone as a drug.
Nathan Goodyear

Testosterone and the Cardiovascular System: A Comprehensive Review of the Clinical Lite... - 0 views

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    Some startling statistics in this 2013 review on Testosterone in men.  Studies reflect an inverse relationship between Testosterone and CAD severity.  That is, the lower the Testosterone levels, the increase in severity of CAD. This same association was also found with CHF.  Low Testosterone is common in those with CAD, CHF, type II diabetes, increased IMT in carotids and aorta, and obesity when compared to "healthy" individuals.  Testosterone therapy in those with CAD found benefits: prolongation of ST segment depression, coronary vasodilation, improved exercise capacity in those with CHF, shift to type I muscle fibers, shorten the QTc interval.  Testosterone therapy has been shown to improve insulin resistance, improve HgbA1c and decrease waist circumference and fat loss in obese individuals.  Otherwise, a good review of the association between a declining Testosterone and cardiovascular disease.
Nathan Goodyear

Testosterone replacement: Medical alternative to bariatric surgery? : Clinica... - 0 views

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    Testosterone therapy aids weight loss in study of obese men.  The presentation of the potentially biased study (study was funded by the makers of the Testosterone used in the study) proposes Testosterone as a pharmacologic bariatric treatment.  That conclusion is ludicrous!  Testosterone therapy has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, improve glucose uptake, reduces inflammation, improve muscle building, and reduce the parameters of metabolic syndrome--all of which underlies the obesity.  Thus, men with low T and obesity, Testosterone therapy is playing a causal role in the obesity and thus Testosterone therapy is treating the cause.  But to describe it as pharmacologic bariatric therapy is false and misleading. http://ow.ly/CKrje 
Nathan Goodyear

Testosterone deficiency and cardiovascular mortality Morgentaler A, - Asian J Androl - 0 views

  • overall mortality and CV mortality were inversely associated with serum T concentrations.
  • men with low serum T, defined as < 8.7 nmol l−1 (250 ng dl−1 ), demonstrated significantly greater all-cause mortality than men with higher serum T (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.24; 95% CI: 1.41-3.57), as well as greater CV mortality
  • lower T levels were significantly associated with the presence of any CV disease
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  • more than 30 years of studies suggesting that low levels of T represent an increased risk for CV and overall mortality,
  • lower serum T concentrations also are associated with CV disease, including incident coronary artery disease [17],[18],[19] and atherosclerosis,
  • the actual rate of adverse events was only half as great in the T group (123 events in 1223 men at risk = 10.1%) as in the untreated group (1587 events in 7486 men = 21.2%)
  • The study by Vigen et al. [7] has already undergone two published corrections,
  • 29 medical societies have called for retraction of the article, asserting "gross data mismanagement and contamination," that rendered the study "no longer credible
  • Mortality in T-treated men was reduced by approximately half in treated men compared with untreated men, at 10.3% versus 20.7%, respectively
  • The mortality rate for men who received TTh was 3.4 deaths per 100 person-years, and 5.7 deaths per 100 person-years in untreated men
  • HR of 0.61 (95%CI: 0.42-0.88; P = 0.008), indicating a significant reduction in mortality with TTh
  • men in the highest prognostic MI risk quartile, treatment with TTh was associated with reduced risk
  • tripling in T prescriptions in the US over the last decade
  • a majority of observational studies have found that low endogenous serum T levels are associated with increased mortality.
  • Men who received TTh were able to exercise significantly longer without ischemia compared with men who received placebo
  • In men with congestive heart failure, those who received T demonstrated greater walking distance and other functional endpoints compared with those who received placebo
  • TTh has been shown uniformly and repeatedly to improve several known CV risk factors, including reduced fat mass, body fat percent, and waist circumference, and increased lean mass
  • improved glycemic control
  • reductions in insulin resistance.
  • the evidence strongly points to improved CV status with normal serum T or treatment with TTh in men with TD
  • analysis of health insurance claims data that reported a 36% increased rate of nonfatal MI in the 90d following receipt of a T prescription compared with the 12 prior months.
  • Comparison with men who received a prescription for a phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor (PDE5i) revealed no increased rate of MI following the prescription
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    Great review by Morgentaler of Testosterone and CVD.  He highlights the significant flaws in the JAMA and the NEJM articles of Testosterone therapy risks.  Morgentaler highlights the significant evidence that points to low T and increased risk of CVD. On contention I have, is Morgantaler seems to flip aside the massive uptick of Testosterone use in the US as compared to other countries.  The evidence definitely points to Testosterone therapy as being safe in those with low T, but there is definitely a problem of significant Testosterone doping that is taking place as well.
Nathan Goodyear

Testosterone physiology in resistance exercise an... [Sports Med. 2010] - PubMed - NCBI - 0 views

  • testosterone stimulates protein synthesis
  • promotion of muscle hypertrophy by testosterone
  • intracellular androgen receptor (AR)
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  • In general, testosterone concentration is elevated directly following heavy resistance exercise in men
  • Findings on the testosterone response in women are equivocal with both increases and no changes observed in response to a bout of heavy resistance exercise
  • Age also significantly affects circulating testosterone concentrations.
  • Aging beyond 35-40 years is associated with a 1-3% decline per year in circulating testosterone concentration in men
  • aging results in a reduced acute testosterone response to resistance exercise in men.
  • In women, circulating testosterone concentration also gradually declines until menopause, after which a drastic reduction is found.
  • acute increases in testosterone can be induced by resistance exercise
  • testosterone is an important modulator of muscle mass in both men and women
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    Resistance training to increase endogenous Testosterone production: more specific, the exercise must be high rep or as the authors call it--high volume.  To do this, the weight needs to be light.
Nathan Goodyear

Testosterone replacement therapy and the risk of prostate cancer - 0 views

  • When the level of circulating androgen is below normal, some androgen receptors are inactive, and the secondary downstream effects are decreased. Once androgen receptors within the prostate are saturated, however, increasing testosterone will no longer have an effect
  • the saturation point is thought to occur at low physiologic testosterone levels
  • Only the subset of individuals with pretreatment testosterone level <250 ng dl−1 had PSA level correlating with free and total testosterone level
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  • none of the men stopped testosterone supplementation due to prostate cancer recurrence, and none demonstrated cancer progression
  • PSA level did transiently rise in one patient; however, none exceeded a PSA of 1.5 ng ml−1 to raise concern for biochemical recurrence
  • after 19 months on TRT, 10 hypogonadal patients with a history of undergoing a radical retropubic prostatectomy for prostate cancer had no PSA recurrence and had statistically significant improvements in serum total testosterone and hypogonadal symptoms
  • Similarly, Kaufman and Graydon14 examined case records of seven hypogonadal men who had undergone curative RP with symptoms of hypogonadism and low serum testosterone levels treated with testosterone replacement. No biochemical or clinical evidence of cancer recurrence was noted
  • In a much larger case series, Khera et al.15 reviewed the records of 57 men who received TRT following RP. After an average of 36 months following RP, testosterone replacement was initiated and followed for an average of 13 months. Mean testosterone values rose significantly and once again, there was no increase in PSA values and, therefore, no diagnosed biochemical recurrence
  • Four of the patients in the treatment group were found to have cancer recurrence, compared with eight in the control group
  • All biochemical recurrences were seen in individuals with high-risk disease
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    Good review of data on Testosterone therapy and prostate cancer risk: the take home is there is no increased risk.  Also, included is a discussion of the prostate saturation theory.
Nathan Goodyear

Treatment of Men for "Low Testosterone": A Systematic Review - 0 views

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    Systematic review finds very little clinical benefit from Testosterone therapy.  The problem here is one typically made by allopathic medicine.  They look for a benefit in a box.  They look for one therapy to cure all.  Testosterone therapy should be the last thing you prescribe as usually low Testosterone is the effect and early is not the cause.  Clearly, in the right individual, Testosterone therapy can have tremendous positive effects; however, it must accompany nutrition, exercise, inflammation control...  Testosterone is just one piece of a very complex male physiologic puzzle.
Nathan Goodyear

PLOS ONE: Probiotic Microbes Sustain Youthful Serum Testosterone Levels and Testicular ... - 0 views

  • Studies in both humans and rodents, however, suggest that low testosterone is due to age-related lesions in testes rather than irregular luteinizing hormone metabolism
  • Various dietary factors and diet-induced obesity have been shown to increase the risk for late onset male hypogonadism and low testosterone production in both humans and mice
  • Testosterone deficiency and metabolic diseases such as obesity appear to inter-digitate in complex cause-and-effect relationships
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  • dietary supplementation of aged mice with the probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus reuteri makes them appear to be younger than their matched untreated sibling mice
  • These results indicate that gut microbiota induce modulation of local gastrointestinal immunity resulting in systemic effects on the immune system which activate metabolic pathways that restore tissue homeostasis and overall health
  • all these studies we consistently observed that young and aged mice consuming purified L. reuteri organisms had particularly large testes and a dominant male behavior.
  • The testes of probiotic-fed aged mice were rescued from both seminiferous tubule atrophy and interstitial Leydig cell area reduction typical of the normal aging process. Preservation of testicular architecture despite advanced age or high-fat diet coincided with remarkably high levels of circulating testosterone. The beneficial effects of probiotic consumption were recapitulated by the depletion of the pro-inflammatory cytokine Il-17.
  • feeding of L. reuteri consistently increased the gonadal weights, consumption of a non-pathogenic strain of Escherichia coli (E. coli) K12 organisms did not affect testicular weight
  • mice with dietary L. reuteri supplements were rescued from diet-induced obesity and had normal body weight and lean physique
  • Despite the comparable numbers of ST profiles, we determined that testes from L. reuteri-treated mice had increased ST cross-sectioned profiles
  • the probiotic organism induced prominent Leydig cell accumulations in the interstitial tissue between the ST's
  • The probiotic-associated increase of interstitial Leydig cell areas was sustained with advancing age at 7 (CD vs CD+LR, P = 0.0025; CD+E.coli vs CD+LR, P = 0.0251) and 12 months
  • mice eating L. reuteri had profoundly increased levels of circulating testosterone regardless of the type of diet they consumed
  • blocking pro-inflammatory Il-17 signaling entirely recapitulates the beneficial effects of probiotics
  • previous studies we found that dietary probiotics counteract obesity [19] and age-related integumentary pathology [18] at least in part by down-regulating systemic pro-inflammatory IL-17A-dependent signaling
  • Testes histomorphometry and serum androgen concentration data were both suggestive of a probiotic-associated up-regulation of spermatogenesis in mice
  • Lactobacillus reuteri we discovered that aging male animals had larger testes compared to their age-matched controls
  • xamined testes of probiotic microbe-fed mice and found that they had less testicular atrophy coinciding with higher levels of circulating testosterone compared to their age-matched controls
  • Similar testicular health benefits were produced using systemic depletion of the pro-inflammatory cytokine Il-17 alone, implicating a chronic inflammatory pathway in hypogonadism
  • One specific aspect of this paradigm is reciprocal activities of pro-inflammatory Th-17 and anti-inflammatory Treg cells
  • Feeding of L. reuteri organisms was previously shown to up-regulate IL-10 levels and reduce levels of IL-17 [19] serving to lower systemic inflammation
  • insufficient levels of IL-10 may increase the risk for autoimmunity, obesity, and other inflammatory disease syndromes
  • Westernized diets are also low in vitamin D, a nutrient that when present normally works together with IL-10 to protect against inflammatory disorders
  • Physiological feedback loops apparently exist between microbes, host hormones, and immunity
  • The hormone testosterone has been shown to act directly through androgen receptors on CD4+ cells to increase IL-10 expression
  • studies in both humans and rodents suggest that hypogonadism is due to age-related lesions in testes rather than irregular LH metabolism
  • We postulate that probiotic gut microbes function symbiotically with their mammalian hosts to impart immune homeostasis to maintain systemic and testicular health [34]–[35] despite suboptimal dietary conditions.
  • Dietary factors and diet-induced obesity were previously shown to increase risk for age-associated male hypogonadism, reduced spermatogenesis, and low testosterone production in both humans and mice [2]–[4], [8]–[11], [14]–[17], phenotypic features that in this study were inhibited by oral probiotic therapy absent milk sugars, extra protein, or vitamin D supplied in yogurt.
  • Similar beneficial effects of probiotic microbes on testosterone levels and sperm indices were reported in male mice that had been simultaneously supplemented with selenium
  • L. reuteri-associated prevention of age- and diet-related testicular atrophy correlates with increased numbers and size of Leydig cells
  • the initial changes of testicular atrophy begin to occur in mice from the age of 6 moths onwards [7] and indicates that the trophic effect of L. reuteri on Leydig cells is a key event which precedes and prevents age-related changes in the testes of mice. This effect is reminiscent of earlier studies describing Leydig cell hyperplasia and/or hypertrophy in the mouse and the rat testis that were achievable by the administration of gonadotropins, including human chorionic gonadotropin, FSH and LH
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    Fascinating study on how the addition of Lactobacillus reuteri increased Testicular size, prevented testicular atrophy, increased serum Testosterone production and protected against diet-induced/obesity-induced hypogonadism.  This was a mouse model
Nathan Goodyear

Use of statins is associated with lower serum total and non-SHBG-bound testosterone lev... - 0 views

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    Statin use associated with lower total Testosterone and "non-SHBG bound Testosterone" (i.e. free testosterone) in men.  The higher the dose, the lower the trend in Testosterone.  The study found decreased testosterone could occur as soon as 1 month.
Nathan Goodyear

Salivary Testosterone and a Trinucleotide (CAG) Length Polymorphism in the Androgen Rec... - 0 views

  • Testosterone correlated inversely with participant age (r = −0.39, p = 0.012) and positively with number of CAG repeats
  • transactivation potential of the AR appears to decline in graded relation to an increasing number of CAG repeats, which are distributed over a normative range of 11–37 and, in Caucasian populations, commonly average 21–22 repeats
  • When activated by androgens, ARs translocate to the cell nucleus, where they exert transcriptional control of androgen-dependent genes by binding to androgen response elements within gene regulatory sequences
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  • some evidence suggests a high number of CAG repeats may be associated with cognitive aging
  • androgens (like other steroid hormones) promote or repress the expression of genes specifying an array of cellular proteins
  • diurnal variation in testosterone levels
  • salivary testosterone correlated negatively with participant age and positively with CAG length variation in the AR gene
  • CAG repeat number varied inversely with reactivity of the ventral amygdala to facial expressions of negative affect
  • higher salivary testosterone was likewise associated with a greater number of AR CAG repeats
  • relative androgen insensitivity in ARs with a larger number of CAG repeats
  • Because circulating testosterone is regulated via negative feedback through the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, diminished androgen sensitivity at higher CAG repeat lengths may reduce feedback suppression of luteinizing hormone (LH). LH would then be maintained at higher levels, in turn promoting higher testosterone production
  • Testosterone up-regulates AVP expression in the amygdala
  • Oxytocin exerts an inhibitory influence on AVP expression in the central amygdala, and the synthesis of oxytocin is mediated by estrogen and estrogen receptors
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    Study used saliva to measure Testosterone levels in men.  Testosterone levels were inversely associated with age, but positively associated with CAG repeat sequences in the AR.
Nathan Goodyear

Testosterone and metabolic syndrome Cunningham GR - Asian J Androl - 0 views

  • The relationship of low testosterone to MetS often is considered to be bidirectional; however, the relationships probably are not direct
  • Many of the components of the MetS are recognized risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD)
  • Multiple cross-sectional studies have found low TT and low sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) levels in Caucasian and African-American men with the MetS, irrespective of age
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  • Low TT and SHBG levels also are prevalent in Chinese [7],[8] and Korean [9] men with the MetS
  • Normally 40%-50% of TT is bound to SHBG, so reducing SHBG levels will decrease TT.
  • Hyperinsulinism suppresses SHBG synthesis and secretion by the liver
  • significant increase in SHBG levels occurred after acutely lowering insulin levels in obese men
  • Estradiol levels are increased in men with the MetS, and they are positively correlated with the number of abnormal components of the MetS.
  • Although it is known that estrogen will increase SHBG levels, apparently the hyperinsulinism associated with obesity has a greater effect on SHBG levels
  • Estradiol also can inhibit luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion
  • Inflammatory cytokines are thought to have a direct effect on the pituitary to reduce LH secretion [15] and also a direct effect on Leydig cell secretion of testosterone
  • Low TT Levels have been shown to predict development of the MetS in men with normal BMI
  • Men in the lowest quartiles of serum TT, calculated free testosterone (cFT) and SHBG at baseline had the highest odds ratios for developing the MetS or DM during the 11 years follow-up
  • More recently, investigators conducting population-based studies have reported that only SHBG is associated with future development of the MetS
  • Additional evidence that low TT increases the risk of MetS comes from androgen deprivation treatment of prostate cancer
  • Low TT and low bioavailable testosterone (bT) were each significantly associated with elevated 20 years risk of CVD mortality in an older population in which cause-specific mortality was age, adiposity, and lifestyle-adjusted.
  • combination of low bT and ATP III-defined MetS is associated with increased cardiovascular mortality in men aged 40 years and above
  • in elderly men, testosterone may weakly protect against CVD. Alternatively, low TT may indicate poor general health
  • Muraleedharan and Jones [27] concluded that there is convincing evidence that low T is a biomarker for disease severity and mortality.
  • The evidence that TRT improves insulin sensitivity and glucose control is conflicted
  • It is widely recognized that testosterone treatment can reduce fat mass and increase lean body mass; however, until recently most reports have not been associated with much weight loss
  • Changes in body composition and weight loss are considered potential mechanisms by which testosterone treatment improves insulin sensitivity and glucose control in patients with diabetes. Effects on inflammatory cytokines [38] and changes in oxidative metabolism [39] also have been reported to improve glucose metabolism.
  • Testosterone replacement therapy has been reported to improve some or all of the components of the MetS.
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    To be read article on Testosterone and Metabolic Syndrome.
Nathan Goodyear

Fifty- two-Week Treatment With Diet and Exercise Plus Transdermal Testosterone Reverses... - 0 views

  • there appears to be a positive correlation between serum testosterone levels and insulin sensitivity in men across the full spectrum of glucose tolerance (Pitteloud et al, 2005), and this relationship is at least partially direct and not fully dependent on (changes in) elements of the MetS
  • supervised D&E alone led to significant improvements in testosterone concentrations, glycemic control, and components of the MetS
  • diet control, exercise, and testosterone supplementation may be beneficial in the management of men with T2D
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  • androgen-deprivation therapy in males with prostatic cancer may be associated with an increased risk for T2D, which may be caused by negative effects on insulin sensitivity
  • insulin sensitivity, measured by HOMA, improved in both groups and with a significantly greater degree when testosterone was added to supervised D&E
  • Fasting insulin concentrations, a good representative of insulin sensitivity, did show a significant correlation with changes in circulating androgen levels, an observation in support of Pitteloud et al (2005), who showed a direct relationship between insulin sensitivity and circulating testosterone concentrations using the hyper-insulinemic euglycemic clamp technique
  • 52 weeks of testosterone treatment also significantly improved circulation levels of adiponectin and hsCRP, key serum markers of insulin sensitivity and hepatic steatosis
  • The changes in both adiponectin and hsCRP were significantly correlated with the therapy-induced changes in bioavailable testosterone
  • a negative correlation was found between hsCRP levels and bioavailable testosterone
  • serum PSA concentrations did not differ between the 2 treatment groups, indicating that short-term testosterone administration appears to be acceptably safe
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    Study of men with metabolic syndrome and type II Diabetes finds that diet and exercise alone improved glucose control and metabolic syndrome components by 31%.  The addition of Testosterone therapy increased this % to 81%.
Nathan Goodyear

Testosterone and benign prostatic hyperplasia Jarvis TR, Chughtai B, Kaplan SA, - Asian... - 0 views

  • The prevalence of hypogonadism (often defined as serum testosterone < 300 ng dl−1 ) ranges from 6% [10] to as high as 38%
  • The process of BPH, however, continues as men age and despite the fact their serum testosterone decreases
  • Liu et al. [12] demonstrated that in a group of older males (mean age 59.8 years) that there was not a significant correlation of serum testosterone levels (total, free or bioavailable) with either prostate volume or International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS)
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  • in eugonadal men, studies have demonstrated that the prostate can increase in volume by approximately 12%
  • There seems to be little doubt that the treatment with testosterone of a young hypogonadal male leads to significant growth of the prostate
  • Behre et al. [22] demonstrated increased prostate volume and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in hypogonadal men
  • Most studies, however, have shown no effect of exogenous androgens on PSA or prostate volume for older hypogonadal males
  • saturation model
  • They argue that the prostate is relatively insensitive to changes in androgen concentration at normal levels or in mild hypogonadism because the AR is saturated by androgens and therefore maximal androgen-AR binding is achieved. Conversely, the prostate is very sensitive to changes in androgen levels when testosterone is low
  • visceral obesity (one of the most significant components of metabolic syndrome) is associated with prostate volume and influences prostate growth during TRT.
  • This hypothesis of inflammation induced LUTS is also argued to be a mechanism for improvement of LUTS with PDE5I
  • The concept, therefore, that treatment with TRT of hypogonadal males with metabolic syndrome might lead to improvement/stabilization of their LUTS, appears to be confirmed in recent work by Francomano et al.
  • There was also an improvement in components of the patient's metabolic syndrome (such as BMI, waist circumference, hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c], insulin sensitivity, and lipid profile) as well as inflammatory markers and C-reactive protein.
  • They concluded that TRT was safe in this group of men, and hypothesize that TRT mitigates the pro-inflammatory factors associated with metabolic syndrome.
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    Authors review the literature behind Testosterone and BPH.  The authors highlight the 4 proposed theories behind BPH: Testosterone, Estrogen, inflammation, and metabolic.   The conclusion is mixed: pointing out that no high level of evidence exists on either side of the debate of Testosterone and BPH.
Nathan Goodyear

Testosterone: a vascular hormone in health and disease - 0 views

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    testosterone therapy has tremendous cardiovascular benefit in men with low T.  The key here is physiologic replacement of Testosterone.  Testosterone is a vasodilator and anti-inflammatory agent in men with low T.  Testosterone therapy improves cardiac function in those with DHF and angina.  Testosterone is found to be a Ca++ channel blocker--anyone say hypertension treatment?
Nathan Goodyear

Endocrinology of the Aging Male - 0 views

  • All steps beyond the formation of pregnenolone take place in the smooth endoplasmic reticulum
  • Cytochrome P450 enzyme, CYP11A is located on the inner mitochondrial membrane and catalyses the rate limiting step of pregnenolone synthesis
  • Estrogen and related steroids, thyroid hormone and insulin increase SHBG levels.
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  • SHBG decreases in response to androgens, and in the presence of hypothyroidism, and insulin resistance.
  • Plasma SHBG levels tend to increase with increasing age
  • The apparent metabolic clearance rate of testosterone is decreased in elderly as compared to younger men
  • Testosterone circulates predominantly bound to the plasma proteins SHBG and albumin, with high and low affinity respectively
  • Testosterone is secreted in a pulsatile fashion
  • Current clinical guidelines suggest at least two measurements
  • In adult men, there is a well-documented diurnal variation (particularly in younger subjects) in testosterone levels, which are highest in the early morning and progressively decline throughout the day to a nadir in the evening
  • In older men, the diurnal variation is blunted
  • it is standard practice for samples to be obtained between 0800 and 1100 h.
  • Testosterone and DHEA decline, whereas LH, FSH, and SHBG rise
  • DHT remains constant despite the decline of its precursor testosterone
  • Longitudinal studies show an average annual decline of 1–2% total testosterone levels, with decline in free testosterone more rapid because of increases in SHBG with aging
  • Massachusetts Male Aging Study (MMAS) data show DHEA, DHEAS, and Ae declining at 2–3% per year
  • DHT showed no cross-sectional age trend
  • Androstanediol glucuronide (AAG) declined cross-sectionally with age in the MMAS sample, at 0.6% per year
  • The EMAS data show that, consistent with the longitudinal findings of MMAS (Figure 1), the core hormonal pattern with increasing age is suggestive of incipient primary testicular dysfunction with maintained total testosterone and progressively blunted free testosterone associated with higher LH
    • Nathan Goodyear
       
      This author proves the point in the review of these two studies, that TT may remain constant in aging men, however, FT drops.
  • obesity impairs hypothalamic/pituitary function
  • Androgen deprivation in men with prostate cancer has been associated with increased insulin resistance, worse glycemic control, and a significant increase in risk of incident diabetes
  • Low serum testosterone is associated with the development of metabolic syndrome 116, 117 and type 2 diabetes. 118 SHBG has been inversely correlated with type 2 diabetes
  • Improvement in insulin sensitivity with testosterone treatment has been reported in healthy 121 and diabetic 122 adult men
  • In studies conducted in men with central adiposity, testosterone has been shown to inhibit lipoprotein lipase activity in abdominal adipose tissue leading to decreased triglyceride uptake in central fat depots. 123
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    great review of hormone changes associated with aging in men.
Nathan Goodyear

Comparison of salivary versus serum testos... [Menopause. 2009 Jul-Aug] - PubMed - NCBI - 0 views

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    this study looked at salivary testosterone to serum testosterone and found poor correlation.  One major problem with this study is the significantly smaller amount (10 fold) of testosterone in women than men in healthy individuals.  This study took place in postmenopausal women, which would have significantly lower levels than healthy women.  They also don't discuss the pitfalls of equilibrium dialysis of serum free testosterone.  Another major flaw is the mere logic of looking at serum for tissue activity.   What is the correlation between serum levels and tissue activity.  There is tremendous assumptions being undertaken that serum levels of testosterone whether total or free translate to genomic or non-genomic signaling.  I also wonder if newer techniques using Mass Spec can better detect the typically pico levels of testosterone in women's saliva?  This study does nothing to dissuade the use of salivary testing.
Nathan Goodyear

Chemistry and Structural Biology of Androgen Receptor - 0 views

  • Healthy adult men typically produce approximately 3–10 mg of testosterone per day
  • circulating levels ranging from 300 to 700 ng/dL in eugonadal men
  • endogenous testosterone secretion is pulsatile and diurnal
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  • highest concentration occurring at about 8:00 a.m. and the lowest at about 8:00 p.m.
  • Average serum concentrations and diurnal variation in testosterone diminish as men age
  • 40% is sequestered with high affinity to sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG)
  • almost 60% is bound with low affinity to albumin
  • 2% as free, unbound hormone
  • 5α-DHT has even greater binding affinity to sex hormone-binding globulin than does testosterone
  • 5α-DHT is only about 5% as abundant in the blood as testosterone and is largely derived from peripheral metabolism of testosterone
  • Both 5α-reduction and aromatization are irreversible processes
  • Approximately 90% of an oral dose of testosterone is metabolized before it reaches the systemic circulation
  • there are three modes of action of testosterone. It may directly act through AR in target tissues where 5α-reductase is not expressed, be converted to 5α-DHT (5–10%) by 5α-reductase before binding to AR, or be aromatized to estrogen (0.2%) and act through the estrogen receptor
  • 5α-DHT is a more potent AR ligand than testosterone
  • has 2–10-fold higher potency than testosterone in androgen-responsive tissues
  • estrogen plays a major role in regulating metabolic process,74,75 mood and cognition,76 cardiovascular disease,77,78 sexual function including libido,79 and bone turnover in men
  • Free testosterone is considered the most “biologically active” form
  • testosterone is the major androgen that acts in the “DHT-independent” tissues, such as skeletal muscle, where 5α-reductase is not expressed or is expressed at a very low level
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    good review of androgens and AR.
Nathan Goodyear

Effect of Testosterone Replacement Therapy on Cognitive Performance and Depression in M... - 0 views

  • Azad et al [15] used single photon emission computed tomography and showed that, after 3~5 weeks of TRT, cerebral perfusion was increased in the midbrain and the superior frontal gyrus in seven men with hypogonadism
  • After 12~14 weeks, increased perfusion was still observed in the midbrain as well as in the midcingulate gyrus
  • TDS patients who received TRT showed significant improvement in cognitive function only if mild cognitive impairment was present at baseline
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  • Cherrier et al [17] evaluated a sample of 32 subjects, which included 17 men with mild cognitive impairment and 15 with Alzheimer's disease. At the 6-week follow-up, patients who received TRT showed significantly better scores regarding spatial memory, constructional abilities, and verbal memory compared to those noted in the placebo group. Taken together, these results suggest that TRT has a beneficial effect on cognitive function
  • TRT improved mood and well-being, and reduced fatigue and irritability in hypogonadal men
  • The study by Pope et al [20] involved men with depression refractory to standard anti-depressants, and found that TRT lowered the Hamilton Depression score,
  • depression tends to increase as testosterone levels decrease [21], it is highly likely that TRT improved symptoms of depression by increasing testosterone levels.
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    men with Testosterone <300 ng/dl with levels after 8 months of therapy achieving +680 ng/dl.
Nathan Goodyear

Low Free Testosterone Is Associated with Hypogonadal Signs and Symptoms in Men with Nor... - 0 views

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    hormones are best evaluated in toto.  For men, the story doesn't begin/end with total Testosterone.  New study finds that low free Testosterone (calculated) is associated with symptoms of low Testosterone despite normal total testosterone levels.
Nathan Goodyear

Large Differences in Testosterone Excretion in Korean and Swedish Men Are Strongly Asso... - 0 views

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    men with UGT2B17 found to be poor metabolizers of endogenous Testosterone.  Normally, epi-Testosterone and Testosterone exist in a relative 1:1 ratio,  However, in these individuals with this SNP, they will have slightly elevated Testosterone levels due to disrupted phase II testosterone metabolism (glucuronidation).  This is found in 60% of Asian men, 50% of black men, and 1% in white men.
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