The rising demand for testosterone in the United States becomes a major industry as it recorded more than $800 million last year. The majority of the consumers of male hormone products are older men who suffer from low testosterone level. However, there are also younger people who are using this product which is considered as an anti-aging supplement. Experts were alarmed on the continued use of testosterone by consumers including professional athletes and bodybuilders because of limited studies that will prove its benefits to the users. According to the Institute of Medicine expert panel, the growth in testosterone’s reputation and increased use by men of all ages in the United States has outpaced the scientific evidence.

In order to shed light on the issues on testosterone use, the government has sponsored a $45 million research. The clinical trial which began last month aimed to know whether symptoms of aging like waning energy, limp libido and poor memory were partly due to testosterone deficiency. The research was headed by Peter Snyder, an endocrinologist from University of Pennsylvania. Peter Snyder has been conducting researches on testosterone for decades and is hoping that the study will provide more information on the interconnection of aging, hormones and health. The trial will be running at 12 medical centers nationwide while Pennsylvania will serve as the coordinating center. Men who are 64 years old above will be the subject of the study. They will be recruiting 800 men to participate in the clinical trial which is considered as the largest so far in testosterone study.

According to an article published in Philly.com, one of the issues that are expected to be resolve in the trial is on how to determine the right level of testosterone. Experts still argue on what is generally accepted low testosterone level. McCullough of the Inquirer said that testosterone levels in the blood fluctuate widely depending on the time of day, and measurement methods vary in accuracy. “Men who are obese or have diabetes tend to have depressed levels,” she said. She also cited a study of middle-class Californians found almost half who were older than 50 fell below the generally accepted “low” threshold of 300 ng/dl (nanograms of testosterone per deciliter of blood), suggesting it’s fairly normal. She also added that testosterone declines gradually but not dramatically with age, unlike estrogen, which plummets to a dribble around age 50.

Some are also hoping that the study will answer questions on the risks of using testosterone and if younger and healthier men could benefit from high level of testosterone in their body. According to McCullough, there are previous studies on male hormone which suggest that it can increase the risk of prostrate cancer, may aggravate sleep apnea and may even increase the incidence of strokes in men. Some says that testosterone use can also lead to male breast cancer.

A renowned prostate-cancer surgeon at Johns Hopkins University, Patrick Walsh is also expecting that the findings of the trial would lead to more sensible use. “Right now, hormones are being tinkered with recklessly,” he said. “Men come in to see me who went to another doctor for vague symptoms. Without measuring testosterone or anything else, that doctor put them on ‘androgen replacement therapy.’ They show up on my door two years later with high-grade prostate cancer. Did the testosterone cause it? I don’t know,” Walsh added.

Marcia Stefanick, Obstetrician-gynecologist from Stanford University also supported the study. “We need information on whether it has benefits before we end up with a situation like with menopausal hormones, where we’re telling millions of women” to use a therapy that does more harm than good,” she said.

To minimize the risks involved, the T Trial ensures the safety of those who will participate in the study. Aside from the age requirement, they will only accept men who have testosterone level below 250 ng/dl. Other criteria include men with complaints like trouble with walking, energy, libido, and memory. Men with other health conditions will be excluded from the study to avoid complications resulting from an increase in testosterone intake. The report also said that the trial will be stopped if the results will put the respondents to greater risk and danger during the treatment.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS