Which patient should not receive testosterone replacement?

It is not recommended to treat normal aging with testosterone therapy. If you don't have any medical conditions that contribute to lower testosterone levels, your doctor may recommend natural ways to increase testosterone, such as losing weight and increasing muscle mass through resistance exercise. Lisa Fields. Congestive heart failure: Men with severe congestive heart failure generally should not take testosterone replacement medications, as it can worsen the condition.

Symptoms of low testosterone, such as erectile dysfunction or decreased libido, can be difficult to talk about. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned that the use of testosterone is possibly associated with increased cardiovascular risk and advised doctors to discuss this risk with patients before starting treatment with testosterone. Non-oral routes prevent rapid liver metabolism and ensure adequate circulating levels of testosterone. The possibility of a higher risk of heart attack or stroke with the use of testosterone led the FDA to place a warning label on testosterone replacement products.

However, testosterone trials were designed to evaluate only the efficacy and not the risks of testosterone therapy, including prostate cancer or cardiovascular disease. A relatively small number of men experience the immediate side effects of testosterone supplementation, such as acne, breathing disorders while sleeping (worsening sleep apnea), breast swelling or tenderness, or ankle swelling. A systematic review found 23 randomized trials on the effects of testosterone therapy on libido; 13 trials showed some benefit, eight showed no benefit and two had mixed results. A limitation of this study focuses on the use of a health care database that did not include information on serological or diagnostic criteria for men who received the TRT.

Men can often feel a big difference when they stop therapy because their body's testosterone production has not yet recovered. As you age, your testosterone level gradually decreases, usually about 1% a year after age 30 or 40.

Reynaldo Hedglin
Reynaldo Hedglin

Proud pop culture maven. Typical travel buff. Subtly charming coffee buff. Zombie advocate. Friendly social media guru. Wannabe beer evangelist.

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