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02/17/09
There can be many advantages to Testosterone therapy. It can increase cognitive ability, sex drive, muscle density and function, and just the self-perception of one’s lack of energy will dissipate. Here is some information on the different tests that should be administered, to be sure desired levels are being maintained. For the purposes of this article we are only going to discuss males. Because it is natural for older males to have lower numbers than of coarse teenagers, we are only going to discuss the levels in those over 30. This is the age at which levels seem to decline.
Let’s start with Testosterone: There are two levels to b concerned with; Total Testosterone and Free Testosterone. Total Testosterone should be in the range of 260 to 1000 ng/ dl, which means nano grams per deciliter. Free Testosterone should be at about 2% of the Total Testosterone levels, 50 to 210 pg/mi.
Keeping these levels in check is good therapy, but in order to do that properly, other factors come into play such as the following:
SHBG - Sex Hormone Binding Globulin. This increases with age, and is what causes Free Testosterone to become measured as Total Testosterone because in combines with the free Testosterone.
PSA - Prostate Specific Antigen. This should be looked at to ensure there is no problem with the prostate that could cause the Testosterone levels to be out of wack.
Body Composition and Bone Density. Even these factor in to adjusting Testosterone levels.
LH - Leutinizing Hormone This hormone secretes from the pituitary gland and tells the testes to produce Testosterone.
HCG - This is a synthetic compound that imitates the Leutinizing hormone and encourages the natural production of testosterone
Estradiol - sometimes an increase in Testosterone can cause an excess increase in the level of estradiol. This can block the beneficial effects of Testosterone and can even cause gynecomastia…otherwise known as “man boobs”…an unautural enlargement of the breasts.
Other metabolic markers should be watched like those associated with blood cells. Hemoglobin and Hemocrit can rise along with increased testosterone. This could cause problems with high blood pressure.
For successful testosterone replacement therapy, all these parameters should be followed closely. As much as low levels of Testosterone can cause problems, care must be taken when supplementing because high levels of testosterone can also have negative implications. In order to monitor these parameters it is very important to seek a medical professional to administer Testosterone only after he has determined that it is required after performing the initial screening.
There is a Prostate Specific Antigen that is produced by the prostate and found in the blood. When these levels are elevated, it indicates that there could be a problem with the prostate. When cancer develops in the prostate, a blood test will show the increase in this antigen.
