Testosterone: What Every Man Should Know

ASK A MAN his cholesterol level, and you’re going to get an answer. That’s a good thing. The incidence of heart disease has fallen sharply in recent years precisely because so many of us, especially men over 40, have become hyperaware of hypercholesterolemia and the danger it poses.

It’s different with testosterone. Ask a man his testosterone level, and he’s apt to give you a funny look. You know the fish-eyed expression guys on the TV news have upon hearing that the nice chap down the block was caught with kiddie porn on his laptop? That kind of look. Most guys, even smart guys, are in the dark about their hormone levels—and a bit uncomfortable talking about the matter. Ditto for doctors. When was the last time your internist said anything about testosterone?

Some in the medical profession believe that this situation may soon change. In part, this is due to recent studies, including one from Cambridge University that is the largest-ever study of testosterone. The study, which involved more than 11,600 men between the ages of 40 and 79, found that guys with testosterone levels on the low side die younger than men with higher levels.

Intrigued, I got in touch with one of the country’s leading authorities on testosterone, Houston-based endocrinologist Steven M. Petak, M.D., who is the immediate past president of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. I was full of questions: How is a guy to know if his testosterone level is low? What are the symptoms? Should he be tested? If the level is low, what then?

Read David Freeman's full Article at Smart Man Daily