Mar
18
2017

What’s new about testosterone?

Dr. Gary Huber recently gave a lecture on what’s new about testosterone. He presented his talk at the 24th Annual World Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine (Dec. 9-11, 2016) in Las Vegas that I attended. It was entitled “Evolution of Testosterone – Dispelling Myths & Charting a Future”.

History of testosterone

There are some notable historic landmarks with respect to the discovery of testosterone.

1869: Dr. Charles Brown-Sequard suggested that the “feebleness of older men” was due to a lack of testosterone. He injected himself with testicular extracts from dogs and guinea pigs.

1912: The Danish physician Dr. Thorkild Rovsing transplanted the testicles of a young soldier killed in battle into an old man with gangrene. The gangrenous wound healed completely.

1918: Dr. Leo Stanley sampled fresh testicles from executed prisoners at the San Quentin Prison and transplanted them to prison inmates. Some regained their sexual potency.

1930’s: Professor Adolf Butenandt collected 25,000 liters of urine from willing policemen. He was able to isolate a breakdown product of testosterone, androsterone. Eventually he isolated both progesterone and testosterone. He received the Nobel prize for his work with sex hormones in 1939.

Historical detours and misguided opinions about testosterone

1935: Because natural hormones cannot be patented, Big Pharma came up with the idea of modifying testosterone by adding a methyl group at the 17-alpha position of testosterone. This new substance, 17 alpha-methyltestosterone, was a new compound. The FDA could patent it. Men liked it, because they could swallow this testosterone derivative as a pill. However, the liver changed 17 alpha-methyl-testosterone into 17 alpha-methyl-estradiol, a strong estrogenic compound. The body could not metabolize this testosterone compound too well. Shortly after introduction into patients it became evident that 17 alpha-methyl-testosterone caused liver cancers. This “testosterone equivalent” was on the market for 50 years before the FDA outlawed it because it caused liver cancer. It also caused suspicion among physicians about any testosterone replacement, even the bioidentical hormones that are safe.

Prostate cancer myths

Prostate cancer myth

Conventional medicine teaches (and I have believed this for many years) that testosterone would be the cause for prostate cancer. This was based on old observations by Dr. Huggins, a Canadian born surgeon who practiced in Chicago, that orchiectomy improved the survival of advanced prostate cancer patients a bit. Dr. Lee pointed out that Dr. Huggins neglected to realize that testicles make both testosterone and small amounts of estrogen. The belief that testosterone production was the culprit of prostate cancer led to the practice of physicians to do orchiectomies. This inadvertently removed the real cause of prostate cancer, an estrogen surplus. This improved the survival of these patients somewhat. Nowadays we have more sophisticated testing methods.

Estrogen causes prostate cancer, testosterone does not

Dr. Abraham Morgentaler (Ref. 1) has compiled a lot of evidence about the importance of testosterone in men. He proved, based on a lot of more modern references, that it is not testosterone that is the cause of prostate cancer. We know now that estrogen dominance is responsible for prostate cancer and that this develops as stated above because of the low testosterone and low progesterone during the male menopause (also called “andropause”).

It is important, when testosterone deficiency is present in an aging man, to replace the missing testosterone with bioidentical testosterone.

Some physicians still practice the old method of hormone depletion therapy in advanced prostate cancer cases. But Dr. Morgentaler and other researchers have shown that it is wrong to do hormone depletion therapy or orchiectomies.

10% absorption rule myth

For years there has been a persistent myth that the skin would only absorb 10% of testosterone. There was never any proof of this and newer studies showed that indeed the skin absorbs about 90% of testosterone.

Misleading science created myths

Unfortunately three key medical journals, JAMA, NEJM and PLOS ONE have published misleading studies. The content did not discuss physiology, mechanism of actions, appropriate dosing or true science. But they concluded that testosterone therapy was causing heart attacks and strokes. There was an outcry about this particular study in the medical community. Unfortunately there were more similar false “studies”. The problem with these was that the controls were wrong or they compared unequal groups that were not comparable. It is reminiscent of previous effort of the tobacco industry wanting to cover up that cigarette smoke causes lung cancer.

Testosterone replacement treats the cause of the deficiency

Here we have the problem that testosterone cures so many conditions for which the Pharma industry has many patented medicines that control the symptoms. But testosterone can actually treat the cause of the illness, testosterone deficiency, which leads to a cure of many other symptoms.

For a long time confusion plagued the older physician generation. But younger physicians are replacing the older generation and they treat testosterone deficiency with bioidentical testosterone in the proper dose.

Clinical observations about a lack of testosterone

There is evidence that men have lower testosterone as they age and this has worsened when we compare data from early 2000 to the 1980’s and 1990’s. As this paper shows, men investigated in the 1980’s were still having higher testosterone levels in older age. But in the 1990’s and more so in 2004 these values have declined even more. This fact coincides also with other studies, showing decreased sperm health and increased infertility. The reason for this is also a lack of testosterone!

Causation of low testosterone

Dr. Huber pointed out that many studies have pointed to a variety of causes for low testosterone levels in men.

BPA, toxins and pesticides

BPA, toxins and pesticides that occupy testosterone receptors and interfere with the hypothalamus/pituitary hormone function that stimulates the Leydig cells to produce testosterone.

The more stress, the less testosterone

The more stress men are under, the less testosterone production there is. Sleep deprivation below 5 hours per night leads to a significant lower testosterone production. Most testosterone production occurs during the sleep in the early morning hours.

Less testosterone from weight gain and sugar overconsumption

Weight gain and sugar overconsumption poison the testosterone producing Leydig cells.

Poly-pharmacy can lower testosterone

Poly-pharmacy. Many drugs lower testosterone production: statins, diuretics, metformin, spironolactone, opiates, antidepressants, verapamil, alcohol, chemotherapy for cancer, antihistamines, ketoconazole, beta blockers, H2 blockers, finasteride, estrogens and alpha methyldopa.

Many references were provided that support these data. One paper reported that the risk of a heart attack climbs to 4 times the risk of normal, when the man sleeps less than 6 hours per night. As sleep hours lower, the risk for metabolic syndrome increases by 42% and this leads to heart attacks. Testosterone replacement can reverse this risk as it is a lack of testosterone production that caused the risk.

Link of low testosterone to cardiovascular disease

The literature is overwhelming that low testosterone has adverse effects on the cardiovascular system. To be more specific, the metabolic syndrome, heart disease (and strokes), diabetes and high blood pressure have their root in low testosterone.

Metabolic syndrome

Inflammation is mediated by cytokines such as IL-6. Dr. Huber mentioned one study where healthy men received IL-6. This promptly suppressed testosterone levels. He said that there are many cytokines that work in concert to suppress testosterone. One useful clinical test for inflammation is the C-reactive protein, which indicates whether or not inflammation is present in a person. Metabolic syndrome is common in obese patients. In a study CRP was found to be significantly associated with obesity. When CRP is high, testosterone levels are low. When the CRP level is high, there is a risk of getting the first heart attack.

Testosterone treatment and inflammation

On the other hand, when men with high inflammatory markers from low testosterone levels were replaced with testosterone, the tumor necrosis factor was reduced by 50%, IL1b by 37%, triglycerides by 11% and total cholesterol by 6%.

In the Moscow study a group of obese men with low testosterone levels were treated with testosterone injections. There was an impressive reduction of insulin (17%), CRP (35%) weight reduction of 4% and TNF-a reduction of 31% within 16 weeks.

Heart disease (and strokes)

Hardening of the arteries (medically called atherosclerosis) is due to chronic inflammation. Researchers developed a new heart attack/stroke specific biomarker. It is a ratio of oxidized LDL, divided by HDL. This has an odds ratio of 13.92 compared to a control without a risk for a heart attack or stroke.

Administration of testosterone hormone led to dilatation of coronary arteries. The Rotterdam study showed that low testosterone levels were associated with high risk for heart attacks and strokes, but that treatment with testosterone removed this risk. Testosterone increases AMP kinase for energy production in heart muscle cells, but also dilates coronary arteries for more blood supply to the heart.

Diabetes

Among men with diabetes 20-64% have low testosterone levels. In another study men with higher testosterone levels had a 42% lower diabetes risk. Testosterone levels are inversely related to body mass index and insulin resistance. Men with diabetes have lower testosterone levels than men who were not diabetic and were weight-matched. Most diabetics have high CRP values.

High blood pressure

Experience with androgen deprivation therapy  for prostate cancer has shown that blood pressure gets elevated due to testosterone deficiency. Testosterone increases LDH, the protective subunit of cholesterol, and decreases LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Testosterone also lowers inflammatory markers and reverses clotting factors making blood thinner. All of this leads to a widening of the arteries and lowering of blood pressure.

Treatment options for low testosterone

It is important to support the hypothalamic /pituitary/adrenal gland axis and remove other causes, such as stress and lack of sleep. Younger men can be stimulated in the pituitary gland through Clomiphene. Men older than 60 likely have true secondary hypogonadism and need testosterone replacement. Topical testosterone creams are available commercially or from compounding pharmacies. Injectable testosterone preparations that can be metabolized by the body are available. One such preparation is Delatestryl. A small dose (like 50 mg) is self-injected subcutaneously twice per week, which keeps the testosterone level stable. The last resort, if the creams or injections don’t work, is the use of testosterone pellets that a physician can implant under the skin.

What’s new about testosterone?

What’s new about testosterone?

Conclusion

At a recent Anti-Aging conference in Las Vegas that I attended, Dr. Huber gave an overview of testosterone. There has been an objective reduction of testosterone levels in men since the 1980’s due to pollutants in our environment. Testosterone plays a key role for heart and brain function. It affects sex drive, fertility and potency. But it also prevents diabetes, high blood pressure and weight gain. On top of that it prevents prostate cancer and likely many other cancers. The key with low testosterone is to replace it to high normal levels. Blood levels should be measured every two months, when replacement has been instituted, in order to ensure adequate levels.

References  Ref.1 Abraham Morgentaler, MD “Testosterone for Life – Recharge your vitality, sex drive, muscle mass and overall health”, McGraw-Hill, 2008

May
10
2014

The Full Story About Testosterone

Much has been written about what happens when women get into menopause. This begs the question: do men experience a change of life? As a matter of fact, they do. It is called “andropause”, and they can experience problems as a result. Here is a study from the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine (Sept. 2013) describing in detail what happens when men get into andropause (the male equivalent of the menopause).

We know from other studies that in obese men testosterone is converted into estrogen because of the enzyme aromatase that converts testosterone into estrogen resulting in erectile dysfunction and loss of sex drive. In lean men above the age of 55 there is a true testosterone reduction because the testicles produce less testosterone. This results in less sex drive, moodiness and lack of energy. But these men will do well with bioidentical testosterone replacement.

Main findings of the Massachusetts General Hospital study:

  1. Testosterone was responsible for thigh muscle development and leg press strength, for erectile function and sexual desire.
  2. Surprisingly, estradiol (the main estrogen component in both sexes) plays a significant part in sexual desire in the male. This became particularly apparent in the post-andropause male who desired hormone replacement. When bioidentical testosterone is used to replace what’s missing there was no problem with sexual desire or erectile function as a small amount of the testosterone was aromatized into estradiol. The researchers were able to measure both testosterone and estradiol levels.
  3. Here is a surprising fact: a lack of estrogen leads to abdominal obesity. This could also be verified by hormone measurements.
  4. In the past doctors used synthetic testosterone products like methyltestosterone, danazol, oxandrolone, testosterone propionate, testosterone cypionate or testosterone enanthate. The problem with these synthetic testosterone products is that the body cannot metabolize a portion of them into estrogen that is desirable for a normal sex drive, so the testosterone compounds alone are not doing their job as well as the bioidentical testosterone that the body can aromatize.

In obese men the problem is that there is too much estrogen in the system, which leads to a disbalance of the hormones in the male with a relative lack of testosterone. Overweight and obese men produce significant amounts of estrogen through aromatase located in the fatty tissue. Aromatase converts testosterone and other male type hormones, called androgens, into estrogen. Excessive levels of estrogen cause breast growth, muscle weakness, lead to abdominal fat accumulation, heart disease and strokes. Dr. Lee described what happens in men who enter andropause years ago as indicated under this link.

The Full Story About Testosterone

The Full Story About Testosterone

Testosterone to estrogen ratio:

Dr. Lee indicated that in his opinion saliva hormone testing is more reliable than blood tests (Ref. 1). One of the advantages of doing saliva hormone tests of estrogen and testosterone is that you can calculate directly the ratios of these two hormones. In hormonally normal younger males the testosterone to estrogen ratio is larger than 20 – 40 (Ref.2). The testosterone to estrogen ratio in obese men is typically less than 20 meaning it is too low. But lean men in andropause produce too little testosterone and their testosterone to estrogen ratio is also less than 20, because they may still have enough estrogen in their system from aromatase in the fatty tissue, but they are lacking testosterone due to a lack of its production in the testicles (Ref. 1 and 2).

When a man in andropause is given bioidentical hormone replacement with a testosterone gel or bioidentical testosterone cream this is absorbed into the blood and body tissues and then partially metabolized into a small amount of estrogen. This can be seen when saliva hormone tests are done; a higher level of testosterone is detected and much lower estrogen level so that the testosterone to estrogen ratio is now 20 to 40 or higher and the affected person will no longer be the “grumpy old man” that had been a source of distress to his partner before.

This New England Journal of Medicine study is important because it confirmed what anti-aging physicians had been saying for years: a small amount of estrogen is necessary for the male for bone health as estrogen receptors will regulate the bone density, it also helps for a normal sex drive. The same is true for women: a small amount of the opposite hormone (testosterone) will help a woman’s sex drive, but she needs the right mix of progesterone to estrogen (a progesterone to estrogen ratio of 200:1 using saliva tests) to feel perfectly normal as a women.

Health and well-being of a man depend on normal testosterone levels:

It is important to realize that testosterone is not only supporting a man’s sex drive and libido, key organs like the heart, the brain and blood vessels contain testosterone receptors as well. The body of a man was designed to respond to testosterone all along. It is when testosterone production is no longer keeping up that premature aging becomes apparent, as the target organs do no longer receive the proper signals.

A healthy heart in a man depends on regular exercise and testosterone stimulation whether he is young, middle aged or old. The same is true for the lining of the arteries where testosterone receptors are present to help with the normal adjustment to exercise and relaxation. The brain cells have receptors for all of the sex hormones and in a man they are used to higher levels of testosterone and lower levels of progesterone and estrogen. If you take the balance away, the aging man will feel miserable and grumpy. Depression will set in. Here is a brief review how one man’s life has been changed by testosterone replacement.

So, bioidentical hormone replacement is not just a matter of replacing one hormone, you need to pay attention to all of the hormones. Lifestyle issues enter the equation as well. I have reviewed the issue of bioidentical hormone replacement for women and men in this blog.

Conclusion:

When a man reaches the age of 55 or older there comes a point where a lack of testosterone and estrogen sets in. It is wise to start doing intermittent blood or saliva hormone tests before this point is reached in order to gage when bioidentical hormone replacement treatment should be given. Along with an assessment regarding the hormone status it would be wise to also assess lifestyle issues as often other factors play a role in premature aging. I have reviewed these factors systematically in a recent publication (Ref. 3). It is best to combine bioidentical hormone replacement with life style interventions to achieve optimal preservation of a man’s health.

More information about male menopause (=andropause): http://nethealthbook.com/hormones/hypogonadism/secondary-hypogonadism/male-menopause/

References:

  1. John R. Lee, MD: “Hormone Balance for men- what your doctor may not tell you about prostate health and natural hormone supplementation”. 2003 by Hormones Etc.
  2. George Gillson, MD, PhD, Tracy Marsden, BSc Pharm: “You’ve Hit Menopause. Now What?” 2004 Rocky Mountain Analytical Corp. Chapter 9: Male Hormone Balance (p.118-148).
  3. Dr.Schilling’s book, March 2014, Amazon.com:“A Survivor’s Guide To Successful Aging: With recipes for 1 week provided by Christina Schilling”.

Last edited Nov. 8, 2014

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