The Dark Side of Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT)

The medical profession remains split on the question of Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) and its value for older men. Those who are opposed to it in principle, as it were, will argue that TRT is dangerous and unnecessary and that low levels of circulating testosterone in older men is natural and should not be interfered with. That at least is what they will say in public. In private, anti TRT doctors will express serious reservations about increasing older men's libido and reduction their erectile dysfunction.
In fact, it is this very misconception --- that TRT is to do solely with older men's sexuality that may be subliminally militating against the broader uptake of this otherwise useful therapy. I say that this is a misconception because in my experience of treating older using TRT, increased libido or sex drive and reduction of erectile dysfunction are far from the predominant effects of testosterone replacement. This does occur of course but it is subtle and not at all pronounced.
Doctors who are opposed in principle to HRT for older men seem to ignore, or be unaware, of other potential benefits to this treatment that have nothing to do with a man's sexuality. Recent studies have shown that nasty, age related conditions like Alzheimer's, dementia, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and the Metabolic Syndrome may all be positively effected by testosterone therapy.
For example, a recent article published in the Journal of Andrology (Vol. 30 No 5 Sep/Oct 2009) makes for very interesting reading indeed. This is the work of four highly respected scientists: Abdulmaged Traish, Farid Saad, Robert Feeley and Andre Guay. In a broad met analysis of all the work carried out into testosterone replacement therapy over the last ten years, these investigators concluded: "Androgen Deficiency (low testosterone) might be the underlying cause for a variety of common clinical conditions such as diabetes, ED, the Metabolic Syndrome and cardiovascular disease."

If this subject interests you, I recommend you read this paper it its entirety. It is available here at this article.
If you have any questions at all that you think I might be able to help you with, I am available through me website here at http://www.doctorrynne.com. 

Dr Andrew Rynne is a medical practitioner and writer. He has thirty years experience in treating Sexual Dysfunction but most particularly Erectile Dysfunction and Premature Ejaculation.