Low Testosterone Contributes To Frailty With Age

Study Proves Link between Testosterone Deficiency and Male Frailty

A number of prominent studies have come out in the last decade that correlates 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 males who were testosterone deficient compared to their peers were either more physically fragile or had a higher incidence of frailty as they aged further.

Low Testosterone Correlated with Poor Health Outcomes

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism revealed the study and its implications. This scientific data provides further evidence that the loss of Endogenous Testosterone due to aging 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 leads this critical study. He and his colleagues are very cautious against recommending Testosterone Hormone Replacement Therapy with the current body of evidence. Still, they display a certain 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 to assess the therapy's effectiveness in treating or preventing physical frailty resulting from such deficiency. She understands the great potential of this fantastic therapy. Still, 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 beginning to notice the effects of accelerated aging due to Testosterone Deficiency.

Testosterone Hormone Replacement Therapy has been shown to aid males in building 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 older males who develop Testosterone Deficiency have a higher rate of major medical issues such as osteoporosis and bone fractures, depression, and diabetes. All these ailments, along with other less recognized factors, lead to a lifespan 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 precisely in what ways Testosterone Hormone Replacement Therapy can aid men suffering from the physiological effects of Testosterone Deficiency.

There is plenty of promising evidence regarding various consequences of aging, but there are still many untapped leads in the clinical research community.

A number of scientific studies have discovered that Testosterone Therapy administered via injection or patch can remove adipose fat tissue and build muscle mass. Still, 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 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 for a number of years

Researchers discovered their initial hypothesis to be correct: Participants who were found to have Testosterone Deficiency were significantly more likely to suffer from clinical frailty.

In addition, patients who were initially found to be healthy but had lower levels of Free Testosterone than average were 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 affected by the aging process, but Free Testosterone levels are affected tremendously. Free Testosterone levels are an essential indicator of 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 many potential co-morbid disorders that can lead to both Testosterone Deficiency and symptoms of clinical frailty.

Even Healthy Patients with Low Testosterone at Elevated Risk of Future Complications

Even though scientists may not be able to link Testosterone Deficiency directly 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 biological mechanisms make this a distinct possibility since Testosterone has been proven to be necessary for maintaining muscle health and bone strength.

Despite this, there is not yet definitive proof that Testosterone Replacement Therapy can be used to treat or prevent clinical frailty. There is a possibility, for example, that Testosterone could lead to prostate enlargement or complicate existing prostate tumors, whether benign or cancerous.

In addition, there is insufficient data to make a knowledgeable prediction about 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 present is to maintain as active and healthy a 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 Ph.D. 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. Still, we feel confident that there is significant value in Testosterone Hormone Replacement Therapy for older gentlemen diagnosed with Testosterone Deficiency. Any male 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; 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 of our 21st Century Hormone Treatments, we urge you to call or contact us today.

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