
Increased
Awareness of Testosterone Deficiency Beneficial to Aging Men
Many males
suffer from the symptoms of Low Testosterone. It is clear that
Testosterone Deficiency is a legitimate medical condition which needs
to be appropriately treated. The problem is that even though Low-T is
a real issue that can be treated and needs to be dealt with, there is
still no clear line at which Testosterone Hormone Replacement Therapy
is unequivocally recommended. There are a few reasons for this.
What
Are the Roadblocks to a Concrete Diagnosis of Testosterone
Deficiency?
One:
Unity Within the Medical Community: Different Doctors, Different
Opinions
First is
an issue of scientific agreement. It is true that Testosterone
Replacement Therapy has been available to patients for decades, but
our knowledge of Testosterone Deficiency is still not complete.
Original studies compared healthy patients to those with severe or
total deficiency. We definitely know the issues involved with having
a clear lack of healthy Testosterone.
The
problem is, our knowledge of the titrated effects of Testosterone
Deficiency lag far behind our knowledge of the black and white of
severe deficiency and absolute health. Some patients may benefit
greatly from a small infusion of Testosterone, while others may need
full treatment in order to restore their physiological hormone
balance.
Two:
Physiological Individuality: Testosterone Deficiency is Different for
Everyone 
The second
issue is a matter of physiology. As we learn more about health and
the human body, it is clear that every person's body is fine-tuned in
a somewhat unique way. Some patients can have a relatively low level
of Testosterone (without fully being declared deficient) and still
have to deal with symptoms of Low-T.
Other
patients have Clinically Low Testosterone Levels but don't seem to
suffer from symptoms of that deficiency in the same way. As our
knowledge of Testosterone and its Function continues to grow and
become more elaborate, these lines will eventually be drawn
accurately, and we will more fully take into account individual
physiology in regard to Testosterone Deficiency Diagnosis.
Three:
Disorders Symptomatically Similar to Testosterone Deficiency
Another
issue related to Testosterone Use and Replacement is that there are a
number of other conditions that can mimic the symptoms of
Testosterone Deficiency, such as Anemia, in addition to other medical
disorders and nutritional deficiencies. Reduced Sex Drive, Diminished
Erectile Ability, Fatigue, and Reduced Muscle Mass can be the result
of a number of different medical problems, and it is important to
make an accurate diagnosis for the sake of every patient's health.
Current
Trends in Testosterone Deficiency Diagnosis
In recent
years, Hormone Physicians came together in order to form a more
concrete set of guidelines to streamline an approach to Testosterone
Deficiency that is more careful and considerate. They believe that
Testosterone Deficiency Diagnosis should be the result of a
consistent set of guidelines which take into account chronic symptoms
in males that suffer from decidedly low levels of Testosterone.
In spite
of these recommendations for care by Endocrine Doctors, drug
manufacturers continue to work hard to increase public awareness of
Testosterone Deficiency, showcasing the numerous benefits of
treatment in order to spur conversations about Hormone Replacement
Therapy between patients and their physicians.
Testosterone
Awareness at It's Highest Levels
Research
has shown that in recent years, national awareness of both the
symptoms of Testosterone Deficiency and the Benefits of Testosterone
Replacement Therapy have become an engrained aspect of the communal
American Psyche, as Testosterone Prescriptions have risen at a rapid
pace. When discussing the increase in popularity of Testosterone
Hormone Treatments, it is important to not only look at the issue
from a medical perspective, but from the perspective of advertising
as well.
Testosterone
Commentaries
In a
recent study regarding the nature of Advertising and Testosterone,
the authors presented two commentaries regarding the marketing and
marketability of Testosterone Sprays, Creams, and Gels.
Testosterone
Advertising Perspective One
One
perspective comes from a writer that has been intricately involved in
the process of advertising Testosterone and other health treatments.
This writer, named Stephen Braun, intimately understands the process,
because he has written pamphlets and other advertisements for
Testosterone, both to medical audiences and to the audience of the
potential patient.
He has
often written under his own name, and admits to ghostwriting for a
number of clients as well. He claims that the rapid increase in
Testosterone Prescriptions is largely the result of an ingenious
marketing campaign in order to globally define Low-T as a set of
individual symptoms related to the aging process, which can be
treated effectively through the use of Testosterone Treatment, rather
than simply a hormonal disorder.
Testosterone
Advertising Perspective Two
Another
point of view comes from two physicians that work in Veterans Affairs
for Dartmouth. Their names are Dr. Steven Woloshin and Doctor Lisa
Schwartz. A major aspect of their research is to figure out ways to
encourage older patients to go visit their doctor, especially older
patients that are experiencing negative medical symptoms.
They say
that there is an immense value in regard to the overall campaign to
increase awareness for Testosterone Deficiency and Low-T, because
these campaigns provide working examples regarding how to get older
men engaged and interested in preserving their health and talking to
their physician about other medical issues which may be adversely
affecting their health.
These ad
campaigns may exaggerate slightly, but in the end, it benefits the
consumer even if they do not choose Testosterone Hormone Replacement
Therapy. These advertisements increase the awareness of Testosterone
Treatment to patients while also reducing any underlying stigma and
increasing the odds that the patient will go see a medical
professional for treatment.
The
Doctors' perspective continues as follows: There are a lot of aging
men in the United States that don't regularly visit their doctor, but
are concerned with many of the symptoms of the aging process that are
often a direct result of Testosterone Deficiency, including
irritation, fatigue, and low-libido. This audience is also one of the
primary audiences which make up a large number of aging veterans in
the United States that share the same concerns.
Increased
Medical Awareness Good for Everyone!
The mythos
behind Testosterone Replacement has the capability of both treating
patients with the legitimate issue of Testosterone Deficiency while
also increasing the odds that patients will just go visit a
doctor! Medical professionals
around the United States can learn a lot from Testosterone
Advertisements, because this market has really figured out how to
target their audience perfectly.
Testosterone
HRT Promising
As we
learn more about the complex interactions of different hormones
within the endocrine system, we will undoubtedly uncover a number of
new, potent, and amazing methods to preserve ourselves and our bodies
throughout the lifespan. Testosterone Hormone Replacement Therapy
shows a large amount of promise in spite of the hype, and as we learn
more about other treatments such as HGH Hormone Injections and
Estrogen Replacement Therapy, we will no doubt uncover more and more
secrets to enhancing our lives well into old age.
Testosterone
and Aging
Aging is a
natural and inevitable process, but it is becoming more and more
clear that there are countless things that we can do to improve our
ability to live a long and healthy life. It is also becoming evident
that, although some aspects of aging may be unpreventable in the long
term, a large number of the symptoms of aging are related to Hormone
Balance, and only tangentially related to aging. Although our
knowledge of the field as a whole is relatively young, the study and
practice of Hormone Optimization will have a vastly net-positive
effect on national and global health in the coming decades.
Testosterone
Replacement is another piece of the puzzle in regard to health
maintenance, and, even though it may not be needed in every instance,
even increased interest in the therapy will help patients turn to
physicians and health professionals that can help them take control
of their health and make knowledgeable and empowered life choices.
Androgel
Low-T Campaign
One of the
most vivid campaigns regarding Testosterone Deficiency is that of
Androgel by the pharmaceutical company AbbVie. These advertisements
are heavily broadcast both on the radio and on television, while also
being printed in newspapers and magazines across the United States.
Their advertisements popularized the use of the term Low-T as
the layman's term for Testosterone Deficiency. These Low-T Ads
aggressively target middle-aged men in order to increase the odds
that they will visit a doctor in order to assess their hormone
status.
A
representative of AbbVie and Androgel explains that such targeted
efforts are not discouraged, but actively encouraged by the Food and
Drug Administration because of the way that they rapidly increase
disease awareness in a target population. These type of
advertisements are allowed by the FDA because they lean on patients
to become more proactive about their own lives, even if Testosterone
Deficiency doesn't turn out to be their biggest problem.
In
addition to this, it gets middle-aged males to go visit a physician,
which is important, because this subset of the population is rewarded
heavily for preventative care while simultaneously being the group of
patients among the least likely to take advantage of preventative
care. The FDA sees Testosterone Replacement as only one tool in the
arsenal of Public Health, and advertisements for Low-Testosterone are
beneficial because they encourage the patient to learn about various
forms of therapy which they may not have been previously aware of.
All
advertisements for Androgel are written in total compliance with Food
and Drug Administration Regulations, and were designed to increase
knowledge among the general population of aging men regarding the
potential benefits of Testosterone Replacement and the Drawbacks of
Testosterone Deficiency, so that they can be more appropriately armed
to talk to a qualified medical professional regarding their personal
campaign to safeguard their health. In the end, it is the doctor that
chooses which therapy is right for the patient.
Self-Awareness
is the Key to Good Health!
This is
why it is important to learn as much as you can about your own body
and your personal health risks as you grow older. Testosterone
Replacement Therapy is just one of many tools that can help you live
a longer, happier, life. If you feel that you may be experiencing the
symptoms of Testosterone Deficiency, don't be afraid to talk to a
doctor!
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