Interest In Bio-identical Testosterone Is Skyrocketing

Prescriptions Written for Bio-Identical Testosterone Triple in Last Ten Years

Testosterone Hormone Replacement Therapy is quickly becoming one of the hottest topics in endocrinology. As a result of new research and methods of Testosterone Treatment, more and more people are turning to the hormone Testosterone to improve their health and love life.

Testosterone is Prescribed More Often Than Ever!

A new research study presents evidence that Testosterone is being prescribed at a rate three times faster than it ever has in the United States for male patients over the age of forty. Twelve years ago, in 2001, only 0.81 percent of males in the United States utilized Testosterone in any form. Today, that percentage has increased to over three percent of males!

Researchers find that there are many reasons for such a rapid increase in interest in this potent hormone. In the past fifteen years, Testosterone has become increasingly advertised in a manner that reaches directly out to potential patients.

Most of these advertisements have been directed to males in their forties and fifties, during which the symptoms of Testosterone and the aging process are producing more and more of an effect on a man's life.

In addition, more clinics are starting to specialize in the areas of Hormone Replacement, Aging, Longevity, and General Health and Wellness, increasing the number of doctors and physicians that work heavily with Testosterone and Other Hormones by their specialization.

The third reason for this expansion is that Testosterone HRT is becoming more straightforward and more accessible by the year as new treatment methods become available in the United States.

Testosterone Debate Rages On

Although the use of Recombinant Testosterone for Hormone Replacement has risen dramatically in recent years, the debate over the benefits and risks of the treatment are hotly contested around the country. Testosterone Replacement has been shown to produce beneficial and potent changes in the human body.

Bio-Identical Testosterone is proven to significantly increase muscle mass while reducing the fatigue associated with low decreased strength. In addition, Testosterone vastly increases libido and sex drive in patients deficient in Testosterone. Other studies have shown that under certain circumstances, Testosterone Replacement can actually harm fertility and sperm counts in male patients.

Also, a mild correlation between Testosterone Hormone Replacement Therapy and Prostate Cancer is being explored further to uncover potential hard links. At this point, the evidence suggests that Testosterone Treatments lessen Prostate Tumors and do not seem to increase the risk of developing new tumors. In any case, Male patients that utilize Testosterone should meet regularly with their general practitioner to maintain proper health and uncover any negative issues before they become overly problematic.

Testosterone and the Lifespan

It is proven that Testosterone Production slowly and steadily declines throughout the lifespan. Still, there is some controversy regarding what deficiency level should be officially declared Low-T. The scientific term for Low-T and Testosterone Deficiency is Hypogonadism, which refers to the body's inability to produce sex hormones efficiently. This deficiency is primarily defined in two ways: Primary Hypogonadism and Secondary Hypogonadism.

Primary and Secondary Hypogonadism

Most male patients experience the former, Primary Hypogonadism. Usually, in this form of deficiency, the Testes slowly lose their ability to effectively produce and secrete Testosterone, at a rate which averages around one to two percentage points every year starting in the later twenties or early thirties.

However, some patients may experience this form of Hypogonadism for other reasons, such as Testicular Trauma.

The second, less common form of Testosterone Deficiency is Secondary Hypogonadism. This deficiency originates in the brain, usually from the Pituitary Gland or the Hypothalamus, preventing the Testes from getting the appropriate stimuli to produce Hormonal Testosterone.

What is the Threshold for Low-T?

The most commonly agreed upon standard for Testosterone Deficiency is a Free Testosterone level beneath 300 ng/dl, although the number may vary depending upon the physician. If Testosterone Levels are beneath this threshold, the patient will likely qualify for Hormone Replacement with Testosterone.

Testosterone Research Analysis

In the research that we mentioned at the beginning of the article, around fifty percent of patients that received Testosterone Hormone Replacement Therapy were treated after Hypogonadism Diagnosis. A surprising piece of data is that nearly one-quarter of patients received no diagnostic testing to evaluate their hormone levels before receiving treatment.

Also, among the males that did undergo Testosterone Testing, it is not completely clear exactly how many of the patients suffered from Low Testosterone. Researchers explain that Free Testosterone Production can be sensitive to many factors, including the time the test is administered.

AMA Opinion on Testosterone

In a recent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, the researchers of this study wrote that additional examination is necessary to figure out exactly how many patients that seem to have Testosterone Deficiency are prescribed Testosterone Treatments even though they genuinely have clinically normal levels of the hormone.

By evaluating this data, scientists hope that Testosterone Replacement can be prescribed more appropriately to patients in need.

On the other hand, as our knowledge of Testosterone Hormone Replacement Therapy expands, we may find that the Threshold in which benefits outweigh risks is higher than we first suspected, in which case, more patients will qualify for treatment.

Make Sure Low-T Symptoms are the Result of Low Testosterone

Suppose you believe you may be suffering from the symptoms of Testosterone Deficiency. In that case, it is essential to rule out other potential causes of your symptoms before turning fully to Testosterone Replacement Therapy.

Dr. Lizza, a New York City Urologist, explains that many symptoms that seem to result from Testosterone Deficiency may be due to other disorders that cause similar symptoms in the same stage of life.

Although Testosterone Replacement can be an effective tool to treat the disorder's symptoms, if Testosterone Deficiency is not your primary medical issue, you may simply be covering up other underlying health conditions.

Dr. Lizza also claims that for many patients, other standard treatments for erectile issues are likely better for patients that do not suffer from a legitimate Deficiency of Testosterone.

Testosterone Research Data Source and Qualifications

The data for this study was obtained from the files of a large health insurance provider, and the data set included over ten million males over the age of forty in determining the exact number of patients utilizing Testosterone Replacement Products.

Of course, the data set obtained for this research cannot be used to provide a complete view regarding what percentage of males use Testosterone because access to Testosterone through Private Health Insurance is not fully predictive in revealing the number of patients without healthcare or the number of patients with public insurance through Medicare, that choose to turn to Testosterone.

Hormone Replacement Therapy: The Future of Medicine?

In the end, the researchers feel that more testing is needed to examine Testosterone HRT to maximize the effectiveness of treatment while limiting the number of patients that receive the therapy when other treatments may be more effective at safely improving their health care situation.

There is no doubt that our knowledge about the pros and cons of Testosterone Hormone Treatments will increase tremendously in the coming years.

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