Testosterone (Low T) Testing

The meaning behind the mid-life crisis

Buying a new sports car, pursuing an extramarital affair with a younger partner, a distinct change in attitude and depression are all telltale signs of men's mid-life crises. This stage in a man's life can be complicated and frustrating. It is helpful to understand the physical causes which can help to regain a normal lifestyle.

Although men remain fertile through their entire lives, their hormones do not necessarily maintain a stable level. Men's sexual peak occurs around 18 years of age which means men have the highest levels of testosterone in their bodies in their late teens and early 20s. As they age, those levels begin to steadily decline. Many medical professionals call this andropause. The gradual decline in hormones does not cause an immediate or dramatic change in a man's physical or emotional well-being. However, as men reach their 40s and beyond, their testosterone level may decrease to a point where they do notice changes that they don't like very much and can be very dangerous to their overall health. Sexual desire may decline, erectile dysfunction could occur, fatigue and muscle loss become evident and depression often sets in. Men often do not monitor their hormones and are reluctant to speak to their health care provider about the situation because they are embarrassed. As a result, they may become depressed and attempt to overcompensate for their losses resulting in extramarital affairs, buying expensive sports cars, spending sprees - anything to help them regain their sense of virility.

Low T is often misunderstood
It is tempting to try and fix Low T with a pill to treat erectile dysfunction or ED That's similar to putting a bandage on a cut sustained after taking a bad fall. The band-aid may stop the bleeding, but it won't help broken bones or torn ligaments. ED may be related to Low T and medications may help that, but what if that pill is only a band-aid that ignores all the other symptoms? Testosterone is one of the main hormones that affects male sexuality. However, there are many hormones responsible for the health and well-being of men. Monitoring hormone and chemical levels can help men have an informed conversation with their medical provider and make positive lifestyle changes. Unfortunately, men often are reluctant to talk about these issues to their physician or medical provider because they think it's just another side-effect of age. This can be dangerous since several life threatening diseases may be associated with these changes. The risk of heart disease, diabetes, kidney and liver function disorders, prostate cancer and other types of cancer increases with age. Blood tests can indicate abnormal levels indicating increased risk of these diseases.

For women's eyes only
Don't tell the men, but we know they are reluctant to take care of themselves, so we're asking you to help them take control of their healthcare. Encourage the men in your life to get tested to have a good baseline from which to determine their level of health. Men don't like to go to doctors. We have the solution - no doctor's visit is required to get these blood tests. They can simply go online, order the test and go to a convenient blood draw location. The results are securely saved on a server that they log onto with a unique password. They get the numbers they need to make informed healthcare decisions. If you know a man in their 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s or beyond who complains about fatigue, erectile dysfunction or muscle loss, there's a good chance their numbers are not where they should be. You give him the gentle nudge he needs and we'll keep it a secret - just between us.

• http://men.webmd.com/features/low-testosterone-explained-how
  -do-you-know-when-levels-are-too-low
• http://www.medicinenet.com/low_testosterone/article.htm
• http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/lowtestosterone/ur189102.pdf
• http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/testosterone/test.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testosterone