Joe Rogan, 52, actor and host of the hyper-popular podcast "The Joe Rogan Experience," has proudly declared that he's been on testosterone replacement therapy since his late 30s. It is, he says, his way to counter so-called male menopause.
A sign of the times! Prescriptions for testosterone therapy among men 40 and older have more than tripled in the past decade.
Now, low testosterone is a real condition - even though for most guys testosterone declines only by about 2% annually from age 40 to 70. But taking testosterone when your level isn't measurably low (you need two tests taken before 10 a.m. to confirm it) and/or you don't have symptoms of hormone deficiency may (it's not certain) unnecessarily increase your risk for cardiovascular disease, prostate woes and more. But TRT does increase potential clotting. So if you go on it, ask your doc about taking it with a low-dose aspirin and about contraindications with other meds or supplements you're taking.
Who needs TRT? The American College of Physicians says treatment for guys with age-related low testosterone levels is not an effective way to improve energy, physical function or cognition. But, for some it might cause a slight improvement in sexual/erectile function. Also, they say the real cause of sexual dysfunction is often chronic illness, medications or obesity. Addressing those problems should be your first move.
So talk to your doc about the possible reasons for your lack of vitality and/or sexual dysfunction, and if you go on TRT, get re-evaluated after 12 months.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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