Study Proves Link
between Testosterone Deficiency and Male Frailty
There are a number of prominent
studies that have come out in the last decade which correlate low
levels of endogenous testosterone with a number of different
physiological ailments. A new study presents evidence that older
males who are testosterone deficient are at a significantly higher
risk of developing geriatric frailty than their counterparts with
normal testosterone levels.
The clinical study observed a group
of over 3,600 Australian males over the age of seventy. Scientists
discovered that the group of males who were testosterone deficient in
comparison to their peers were either more physically fragile or had
higher incidence of frailty as they aged further.
Low Testosterone Correlated with
Poor Health Outcomes
The study and its implications were
revealed in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
This scientific data provides further evidence that the loss of
Endogenous Testosterone as a result of the aging process leads to
poor health outcomes. The problem that scientists are trying to
answer now is, What can be done about Testosterone Deficiency?
Zoe Hyde of the Perth University of
Western Australia is the principal researcher who lead this important
study. He and his colleagues are very cautious against recommending
Testosterone Hormone Replacement Therapy with the current body of
evidence, but they do display a certain level of optimism and
possibility when discussing the subject.
Mrs. Hyde believes that widespread
clinical testing of Testosterone Replacement Therapy for Testosterone
Deficiency needs to be conducted as a means to assess the
effectiveness of the therapy to treat or prevent physical frailty
that occurs as a result of such deficiency. She understands the great
potential of this amazing therapy, but she feels that the risks and
benefits of Testosterone Treatment need to be assessed before the
therapy can be properly approved.
Testosterone Replacement is Proven
Beneficial in Many Ways 
Testosterone has been proven to have
many fantastic benefits for patients over the age of thirty who
suffer or are simply beginning to notice the effects of accelerated
aging due to Testosterone Deficiency. Testosterone Hormone
Replacement Therapy has been shown to aid males in building both
muscle strength and muscle mass. In addition to this, Testosterone
elevates red blood cell counts and bone density as well.
It is a proven and unfortunate fact
that Testosterone levels drop with age. There is also mounting
evidence that shows that older males who develop Testosterone
Deficiency have a higher rate of major medical issues such as
osteoporosis and bone fractures, depression, and diabetes. All of
these ailments along with other less recognized factors lead to a
lifespan which is potentially reduced by a marked degree.
Although Testosterone Therapy
Seems Promising, There is Much More Research to be Done
There is not a definitive link yet
that proves that Testosterone Deficiency has a direct causal link to
male health problems that occur as a part of the aging process. It is
still unclear in exactly what ways Testosterone Hormone Replacement
Therapy can aid men who are suffering from the physiological effects
of Testosterone Deficiency. There is plenty of promising evidence
regarding a number of different consequences of aging, but there are
still many leads yet untapped in the clinical research community.
A number of scientific studies have
discovered that Testosterone Therapy administered via injection or
patch has the capability to remove adipose fat tissue and build
muscle mass, but there is not yet definitive evidence that the
physical changes that occur lead to enhanced strength, mobility, or
physiological function in the population of older males.
Testosterone Frailty Study in
Depth
In the above study, Doctor Hyde and
her associates monitored testosterone rates and frailty in 3,616
males whose ages ranged between seventy and eighty-eight. Of those
3,616 males, the team was able to meet 1,586 of those males for
further assessment in the following 4 to 7 years.
At the time of their first
evaluation, fifteen percent of the males were found to be clinically
frail. The clinical definition of frailty is that an individual
display a minimum of three of the following symptoms related to
health deterioration:
Issues walking for a distance
longer than a single block
Problems ascending a single
flight of stairs
More than 5 major physiological
ailments. The full list of eligible conditions are arthritis,
cardiovascular disease, depression, asthma, stroke, anxiety, skin
cancer, colon cancer, osteoporosis, emphysema, chronic bronchitis,
Alzheimer's, myocardial infarction, angina, hypertension, leg
ulcers, dementia, and diabetes
Chronic fatigue
Unintentional loss of weight
which accounts for more than five percent of body mass over a period
of a number of years
Researchers discovered their initial
hypothesis to be correct: Participants who were found to have a
Testosterone Deficiency were significantly more likely to suffer from
clinical frailty. In addition to this, patients who were initially
found to be healthy, but had lower levels of Free Testosterone than
normal were found to be at an enhanced risk of developing clinical
frailty than participants who were found to have average levels of
Testosterone for their age group.
Doctor Hyde believes that the next
logical step that emerges from this study is that Testosterone
Replacement Therapy should be provided to willing participants who
both suffer from Clinical Frailty as a result of Low Testosterone and
those who have a Testosterone Deficiency and have yet to show signs
of frailty.
Free Testosterone is Vital to
Healthy Aging
One intriguing finding discovered by
this study is that Total Testosterone Concentration is not effected
by the aging process, but Free Testosterone levels are effected
tremendously. Free Testosterone levels are an important indicator for
the presence of Testosterone's benefits because Free Testosterone is
much more active biologically than other configurations of the
hormone.
It is important to note that this
study provides no ability to prove that Testosterone Deficiency
directly leads to male frailty.
Doctor Hyde believes that total
causality may never be fully proven because there are a multitude of
potential co-morbid disorders which can lead to both Testosterone
Deficiency and symptoms of clinical frailty.
Even Healthy Patients with Low
Testosterone at Elevated Risk of Future Complications
Despite the fact that scientists may
not be able to directly link Testosterone Deficiency and Clinical
Frailty, the fact that relatively healthy patients who were initially
found to have Low Testosterone Levels were later found to develop
physical frailty at an enhanced rate compared to their peers displays
a significant probability that Testosterone Hormone Deficiency plays
a prominent role in the issue of Male Geriatric Frailty.
Doctor Hyde feels that there are
biological mechanisms which make this a distinct possibility, since
Testosterone has been proven to be important for the maintenance of
muscle health and bone strength.
In spite of this, there is not yet
definitive proof that Testosterone Replacement Therapy can viably be
used to treat or prevent clinical frailty. There is a possibility,
for example, that Testosterone could lead to prostate enlargement or
complicate existing tumors of the prostate, whether benign or
cancerous. In addition to this, there is not yet sufficient data to
make a knowledgeable prediction whether Testosterone Therapy enhances
the risk of heart disease in older males.
Live Healthy, Live Consciously
For now, Doctor Hyde believes that
the most important thing for older males to do at the present day is
to maintain as active and healthy life as possible, in addition to
eating a nutritious diet, working to keep weight in check,
exercising, and avoiding tobacco.
From Reuters Health
About Zoe Hyde
Dr. Zoe Hyde is a Professor of Health Science at Curtin University in
Bentley, Western Australia. Hyde is a Master of Public Health PhD.
She is also a member of the Endocrine Society, the Public Health
Association of Australia, and the Australasian Epidemiological
Association, among other Prestigious groups. She specializes in
Hormone Replacement Therapy and Epidemiology.
Conscious Evolution
Responds:
We at Conscious Evolution Institute
respect and value the scientific contributions of Dr. Hyde and her
clinical staff, but we feel confident that there is significant value
in Testosterone Hormone Replacement Therapy for older gentlemen who
have been diagnosed with Testosterone Deficiency. Any male who is
diagnosed with Abnormally Low Testosterone is eligible for
Physician-Monitored Testosterone Replacement Therapy
We recognize that there are risks
involved with the therapy regarding issues with the prostate and do
not allow patients with a history of prostate cancer to utilize this
therapy. We also monitor our patients closely for changes in prostate
health and if any complications arise, therapy will be suspended
immediately.
As a result of our vast clinical
experience with Testosterone Hormone Replacement Therapy, we have
witnessed first-hand the benefits that Testosterone can provide to a
deficient patient. If you are interested in learning more about this
or any other of our 21st Century Hormone Treatments, we
urge you to call or contact us today.
Read the Source for Free Here:
http://www.eje.org/content/156/5/585.full
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