Low Testosterone Levels Linked to Short Lifespan
(Archives Internal Medicine, 166:1660-1665, 2006) ..
Men have more heart disease than women before age 60. Many scientists reasoned that since men have much higher levels of testosterone than women, the hormone must be linked to heart attacks Well, think again. Mountains of research shows just the opposite. Low levels of
testosterone increase the risk of heart disease, impair sexual performance and cause premature death.
University of Washington researchers in a study of war veterans over 40 found that death rates in men with the lowest testosterone levels (less than 240 ng/100 ml) were 75 percent higher than in men with normal levels (450 ng/100 ml). Other studies link low testosterone
levels with poor metabolic health. For example, men with higher waist size had lower levels of testosterone (Eur J Epidemiol, 19: 657-663, 2004). Men with waist circumferences greater than 40" had 30 percent lower testosterone levels than men with waists less than 37". Large
waist size depressed testosterone most in men 25 to 50 years old the time when they're most sexually active.
These studies provide more evidence for the value of hormone replacement therapy in middle-aged and older men.
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