First Nationwide Testosterone Screening

[Q.]

There's not a "Health" forum per se so I'm posting this here. HERE'S the link.


Latest News:


Men’s Health Network Launches First Nationwide Testosterone Screening
Posted Monday, June 21, 2004

A recent survey suggests men take better care of their cars than they do their own health. Nearly 84 percent of men say they’ve had their car serviced in the past year, but only 66 percent have had an annual check-up with a doctor in the same period.* To jumpstart men’s health maintenance, this summer over 2,000 physicians in all 50 states will educate male patients about the symptoms of low testosterone (low T) as part of the first annual National Testosterone Tune-Up. Created by the Men’s Health Network (MHN), this educational program kicks off June 14 during National Men’s HealthWeek and runs through the end of July 2004.

“Men hear an engine ping and they bring their car to a mechanic, but they don’t listen when their body tells them it may be time to see a doctor,” said Jean Bonhomme, MD, MPH of Emory University and a member of the MHN Board of Directors. “Regular check-ups and screenings, including low testosterone, can help improve men’s overall health. Low testosterone is an often overlooked medical condition with potential longterm health consequences if left untreated. We recommend men have their testosterone levels screened after age 40, as this hormone tapers with age.”

As the survey implies, men tend to suffer long before they seek medical advice, ignoring or dismissing various symptoms. Through the National Testosterone Tune-Up, doctors and male patients will speak about low sex drive, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, depression, reduced muscle mass and strength, increased body fat and decreased bone mineral density — all signs of low T. The doctor-patient discussion may point to other illnesses or lifestyle issues. But if a simple blood test confirms below normal testosterone levels, then testosterone therapy may be an option.

“Multiple studies have shown proper treatment can provide significant health benefits for men with testosterone deficiency,” said Dr. Bonhomme. “The National Testosterone Tune-Up gets doctors and patients talking about the symptoms of low T, appropriate diagnosis, the benefits and risks of treatment as well as the connection between low T and other related conditions like obesity and diabetes.”

Men can visit www.tuneupyourT.com to find a local doctor in the state-by-state directory of participating physicians. Additional information about low T and the program will be available online.
About Low T Some men’s bodies do not produce enough testosterone, resulting in a condition known as hypogonadism or low testosterone. It is estimated low T affects up to five million American men. Problems in the testes, the pituitary gland, or in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus may cause low T. As men get older, the
ability to produce testosterone gradually declines. In fact, after age 30, testosterone levels drop by about 10 percent every decade. Treatment is for men of any age with below normal levels of testosterone accompanied by various symptoms, used under a doctor’s care. There are several FDA-approved therapies available, including gels, patches and injections.

About Men’s Health Network: Founded in 1992, the Men's Health Network (MHN) is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit educational organization composed of physicians, researchers, public health workers and other health professionals. MHN is committed to improving the health and wellness of men through education campaigns, data collection and work with health care providers to provide better programs and funding on men's health needs. One of MHN’s proudest accomplishments was advocating for the congressional passage of National Men’s Health Week, which was signed into law on May 31, 1994, and is recognized annually as the week leading up to and including Father’s Day. Visit MHN at www.menshealthnetwork.org for more information about the organization.

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For more information please contact:

Cory Jensen
Director, Project Development

202-543-6461 x 106
cory@menshealthnetwork.org

[gardener]

This topic has sat here in lonely isolation for a couple of days, so I'll jump in--and a number of guys here know that four years ago, at age 65, I was diagnosed with exceedingly low testosterone and put on testosterone replacement therapy--and that TRT has made an enormous difference in my life.

I didn'r go looking for this therapy, which is a simple matter of rubbing a little transparent goo (AndroGel) on my skin every morning. My doctor just had a hunch, so he ordered two tests--one for the luteinizing hormone (LH) that instructs the testes to make T, the other for free serum T. I had plenty of LH, but almost no T.

I didn't know anything was wrong with me. I was depressed, lethargic, and not interested very much in anything, but I thought this was just a matter of getting old, something that had gradually happened to me over a long period. I didn't know there were alternatives.

It took only 24 hours. I had a rush of euphoria, a sense of well-being that I hadn't known in many years. I felt a great burst of energy, felt I had to DO something. I joined a gym, although my family thought it wouldn't last.

It lasted. My body fat dropped eventually from over 30% to under 15%, my weight from over 200 to around 160 lbs. I took up kayaking. And yes, my libido, which had been in exile for years, came home.

I worked out for two years on my own, and then two years with a trainer, who pushes me more than I would push myself. I have continued to increase in strength and stamina, also in musculature. I'm not thrilled with my abdomen, but my legs, thighs, butt, shoulders, and arms are transformed from a sea of flab into something much more solid and defined. The calendar tells me I'll be 70 next January, but I feel 30 years younger than I did 4 years ago.

The exercise was crucial, but the T was the jump starter.

I don' t know, but perhaps when I was 50 i might have been shy about admitting getting T from a little metal packet, not my own testes. It doesn't bother me a bit to testify (parden the pun) about TRT. I hate to think what my life would be like today had my doctor not had that little hunch. If my experience helps one other guy to improve the way he feels, looks, and thinks about himself, then it's worth telling this tale.

[FishrCutB8]

Thanks for sharing that. Anything that makes it easier for people to be themselves is a good thing, in my book.

[gardener]

Thanks for sharing that. Anything that makes it easier for people to be themselves is a good thing, in my book.

Thanks!

It's taken me years to realize that I don't want to be someone else that someone else said I should be.

[Q.]

Glad someone jumped in! [img]smile.gif[/img] It's clear that it's a legit "men's health issue."