Often, doctors prescribe testosterone replacement therapy to men who suffer from low testosterone levels to alleviate their symptoms. However, combining testosterone replacement with lifestyle changes may be a more comprehensive approach to treating low testosterone. Because there are many factors that affect your testosterone levels, it is important to talk to your doctor about changes you can make in addition to a testosterone replacement regimen. There are a variety of lifestyle treatments that have been shown to increase testosterone levels, such as exercise, diet and sleep.
Your doctor can help you determine which lifestyle changes are best for you. It is important to note that while it can be embarrassing to admit that you have low testosterone levels, it is nothing to be ashamed of either. In addition, you should stay away from low-fat diet plans, as they may be related to low testosterone levels. Every day you postpone treatment is another day when your testosterone levels could drop even lower.
Bioavailable testosterone, which refers to free testosterone and that bound to albumin together, is believed to reflect an individual's biologically active circulating testosterone. The Endocrinology Society recently published an evidence-based guide that includes the level of evidence and the degree of recommendation, which defines androgen deficiency syndrome only in men with symptoms and signs consistent with testosterone deficiency and unequivocally low serum testosterone levels. With the increase in male life expectancy and the expansion of testosterone prescribing, the use of TRT has shifted from sexual symptoms specific to non-specific generalized symptoms, such as fatigue, lack of concentration and depressed mood. Testosterone is the hormone responsible for the development of male external genitalia and secondary sexual characteristics.
Since there are many factors that can contribute to problems with testosterone, losing your age of majority alone doesn't work. Rather than thinking that testosterone replacement is something reserved for “older men”, it is important to understand the basics of TRT for men so you can determine when to add hormone therapy to your to-do list. For older men, it is important to determine if a low testosterone level is due to normal aging or if it's due to illness (hypogonadism). The results are not as clear in men with normal testosterone levels or in older men with decreasing testosterone levels. In conclusion, combining lifestyle changes with TRT may be a more comprehensive approach to treating low testosterone levels. Talk to your doctor about what might be best for you and stay away from low-fat diet plans.
It is also important for older men to determine if a low testosterone level is due to normal aging or if it's due to illness (hypogonadism).