Low
Testosterone: How Do You Know When Levels Are Too Low?
By Matt McMillen
WebMD Feature
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Melinda Ratini,
DO, MS
In recent years, Spyros Mezitis, MD, PhD, has
found himself talking to a lot more male patients about low testosterone, a diagnosis he says is
becoming increasingly common.
"More men are getting older, and men are
more open about talking about erectile
dysfunction," Mezitis, an endocrinologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New
York City
On the one hand, increased diagnosis of low testosterone is driven by an aging population, less
stigma, and more precise tests. But there's another big reason why men come to
Mezitis' office for a testosteronetest.
"Men are bombarded by media, by
advertising campaigns -- 'Don't feel well? Ask your doctor about low testosterone,'" he says.
They come in saying they feel excessively
fatigued, weaker, depressed, and that they have lost their sex drive --
all common symptoms of a drop in testosterone.
"As an endocrinologist, I'm thinking hormones," says Mezitis, who
estimates that about a quarter to a third of the men he tests for low testosterone have levels below normal.
"Sometimes it is testosterone, sometimes it is the thyroid,
and sometimes it's something unrelated to hormones."
What Is Testosterone and Why Does It Decline?
Testosterone is a hormone. It's what puts hair on
a man's chest. It's the force behind his sex drive.
During puberty, testosterone helps build a
man's muscles, deepens his voice, and boosts the size of his penis and testes. In adulthood, it keeps a
man's muscles and bones strong and maintains his interest in sex.
In short, it's what makes a man a man (at least physically).
After age 30, most men begin to experience a
gradual decline in testosterone. A decrease in sex drive sometimes accompanies
the drop in testosterone, leading many men to mistakenly believe that their
loss of interest in sex is
simply due to getting older.
"Some say it's just a part of aging, but
that's a misconception," says Jason Hedges, MD, PhD, a urologist at Oregon
Health and Science University in Portland
