Testosterone Replacement and Anti Aging Doctor in Portland Oregon Treating Low Testosterone Levels in Men and Women Testosterone is often thought of as the “male” hormone. In fact testosterone is a very important hormone for both men and women. In men it’s made primarily by the testes, and in women by the ovaries and adrenal glands. Testosterone is an “anabolic” hormone, meaning it promotes protein synthesis for structural tissue such as muscle, bone, and the heart. Testosterone is the hormone that tells your body to build muscle. If you have low testosterone levels, you may find that exercising doesn’t improve muscle mass, strength, or tone like it should. Men produce significantly more testosterone than women; this is the reason men have bigger livers, lungs, and hearts. Testosterone is critical for bone strength—it can prevent bone loss, as well as stimulate osteoblasts (bone building cells) and production of growth factors in bone. Testosterone may also prevent fractures by increasing muscle mass and strength, therefore, reducing the odds of falling and breaking a bone. Testosterone is perhaps best known as the libido (sex drive) hormone, which is actually true for both women and men. When testosterone levels are low, men may experience erectile changes—fewer or absent morning erections, difficulty achieving erections, less firm erections—and sometimes difficulty having orgasms. Women with low testosterone levels may also experience fewer or absent orgasms as well as diminished sensitivity of the clitoris. Testosterone is very important for the health of your heart and normal blood sugar levels. Low testosterone is often associated with high insulin levels and diabetes, and testosterone supplementation can decrease insulin resistance and help prevent or reverse diabetes. Testosterone helps maintain heart health by dilating the coronary arteries (the arteries that feed your heart), promoting normal blood pressure, and preserving strength of the heart. As you age, you may notice a reduction in brain function affecting your ability to learn new information or retrieve things you already know. Declining or low testosterone production contributes to a decreasing ability to remember words or pictures, to mentally manipulate objects in space (spatial ability), and to plan, organize, and remember details. Low free testosterone levels are actually a risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s, which currently afflicts someone in the U.S. every 71 seconds. In addition to improving thinking ability, testosterone facilitates the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine—the brain chemical that enables you to concentrate or focus, and prevents depression. People with Parkinson's disease have low dopamine production and testosterone has been shown to help with Parkinson symptoms. In addition, testosterone improves mental sharpness, memory, mood, and overall sense of well-being. Points to remember about testosterone:
To learn more about the importance of testosterone replacement for men and women, symptoms of low testosterone, natural ways to improve production, research on bioidentical testosterone supplementation including testosterone pellet implants, please visit Dr. Retzler's clinic website at:
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