随着你的年龄睾丸激素会怎样

While doctors believe age has a lot to do with the decline, something else might also be going on. “Is this a natural drop off or is this secondary to other medical comorbid conditions?” says Dr. Masterson. “After the third decade of life, you also have an increase in high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease,” he adds, all of which decrease testosterone production. Obesity is another factor: 40% of obese men (and 50% of obese men with diabetes) have low testosterone levels, studies show.

The pea-sized pituitary gland, located at the base of the brain, is known as the master gland. That’s because it tells other glands, like the testicles, to release hormones. As you age, the signaling isn’t as efficient and the entire system doesn’t work as well as it did when you were younger, says Tracy Gapin, M.D., a urologist and men’s health specialist in Sarasota, FL. Sometimes the testicles aren’t responding to the signal from the pituitary gland (that’s primary hypogonadism). Or the testosterone levels are already low and the pituitary gland isn’t sensing those lower levels—and therefore not stimulating testicles to produce more testosterone (known as secondary hypogonadism).

正常水平的睾酮是每分列的300-1,000纳克（NG / DL）之间的任何地方，但睾丸激素最低可以去为零。“这不是典型的，”王家博士说。“这将是通常对其他条件治疗的男性。”例如，在具有晚期前列腺癌的男性中，他说，医生故意试图让他们到所谓的“阉割”层面。医生通常定义低T，低于300 ng / dl。与此同时，约翰霍普金斯大学的研究人员建议瞄准400年代中期到600年代中期的范围，具体取决于年龄。

“常见的误解是,睾丸激素only about sex and building muscle, but testosterone is critically important when it comes to normal metabolism, normal mood, bone health and cognitive function,” says Dr. Gapin. Throughout the body you have androgen receptors, places on the cell where testosterone can bind to a cell and cause changes — whether it’s building bone and muscle or supporting nerve function, he explains. Low levels of the hormone put you at a higher risk for heart attacks and strokes and type 2 diabetes. And there’s evidence that it leads to poorer overall health and early death.

Some of these symptoms overlap with other conditions (like thyroid problems or poor sleep), but they do affect your quality of life big-time. “These are symptoms like brain fog, difficulty concentrating and poor productivity at work,” says Dr. Gapin. “A guy might complain of low energy and fatigue and he’s falling asleep in the early evening. He has issues with performance in the bedroom at night. And as hard as he tries, he cannot get rid of the body fat.” Other signs include:

• Less muscle mass
• Achy breasts
• 无法解释的贫血

To be diagnosed with low testosterone, you must have symptoms and levels below 300 ng/dL from a blood draw taken before 10 a.m. (hormone levels peak in the morning). But “we try to rule out other conditions or other correctable causes,” says Dr. Masterson. Those include low thyroid, depression, small benign tumors of the brain (called prolactinomas), blood disorders and even sleep apnea. “Once we've ruled them all out, that's when we talk about testosterone replacement,” he says.

Even if you eventually go the testosterone replacement route, you can also improve levels by cleaning up some habits. Eating too much processed foods, not getting good-quality z’s and too much stress can torpedo hormone levels. That’s why Dr. Gapin recommends his patients work out and strength train, eat healthier foods, lose weight and find ways to reduce stress, among other T-boosting strategies. It may not get your testosterone to optimal levels if you’re over 65, but it can help, says Dr. Gapin.

There’s no doubt that a testosterone boost will jumpstart your sex life, and that’s a plus. There’s evidence from a few small studies on older men that it will build up lean muscle mass (which you want) plus strengthen your muscles so you can climb stairs more easily. Testosterone therapy can also improve your bone health, especially in the spine and hips, and anemia. The evidence is mixed whether it can improve memory loss and focus, though it does seem to help ease depression if your low moods come from low testosterone levels.

The biggest is infertility because testosterone replacement therapy lowers FSH, a hormone responsible for stimulating sperm production. “About 60% of guys will become what’s called azoospermic, meaning there will be no sperm in their ejaculate,” says Dr. Masterson. That may not bother you if you’re an empty-nester, but if you’re young that can be an issue. “If a young guy is really sure he wants to do testosterone therapy, I typically offer at least a semen analysis and possibly even sperm freezing beforehand,” Dr. Masterson adds. Other side effects include hair loss and acne, notes Dr. Gapin.

Testosterone replacement doesn’t cause prostate cancer, but if you’ve had it, doctors typically don’t recommend testosterone therapy. Testosterone replacement can also over-stimulate red blood cell production, so it’s not advised for men with erythrocytosis (when you have too many red blood cells) or a history of blood clots. And if you have heart disease and are frail and elderly, your risk of strokes or heart attacks may be higher. The bottom line: If you’re older and have serious health conditions, speak to your doctor but don’t be surprised if your provider nixes the testosterone prescription.