Testosterone Replacement Therapy TRT: What It Is

Could you have low testosterone?: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

Sometimes in primary hypogonadism testosterone levels are within the normal range and gonadotropins are high. Your specialist will help you understand if you need treatment, even with normal testosterone levels. Androgen replacement therapy (ART), often referred to as testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), is a form of hormone therapy in which androgens, often testosterone, are supplemented or replaced. It typically involves the administration of testosterone through injections, skin creams, patches, gels, pills, or subcutaneous pellets. ART is often prescribed to counter the effects of male hypogonadism.

As with all content on our blog, the following is educational only, not medical advice. Always consult your physician about your specific healthcare needs. Dr. Jonathan Brajtbord, one of our board-certified urologists, is passionate about integrative medicine and helping patients optimize their health so they can thrive. At Ageless Men’s Health, we create positive contributions to your overall health and help prevent other obstacles to your best half life of testosterone propionate. Figure 1 provides a scanning electron micrograph of a testosterone-laden microbead, which is entirely infused with testosterone.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) explains that the benefits and safety of TRT for treating low testosterone levels due to aging are not known. The organization requires that testosterone products carry warnings mentioning the possible risk of stroke and heart disease. A person may also note other benefits, such as an increase in bone density and lean body mass, an improvement in well-being, and a boost to energy and libido. It may take from 4 weeks to several months to see positive changes.

Restoring testosterone levels to within the normal range by using testosterone replacement therapy can improve many of the effects of hypogonadism. Most importantly, these include beneficial effects on mood, energy levels and patients’ sense of well-being, sexual function, lean body mass and muscle strength, erythropoiesis and bone mineral density (BMD), cognition and some benefits on cardiovascular risk factors. Testosterone is well known to help in libido, bone density, muscle mass, body composition, mood, erythropoiesis, and cognition.

In the last 100 years, life expectancy for men has increased by 65 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And other studies have estimated that more than 8% of men aged 50 to 79 years have low testosterone. Male hypogonadism is a medical condition that can affect people with testicles at any age from birth through adulthood. People who are considering TRT need a prescription and appropriate guidance from a doctor or qualified healthcare professional.

Others, such as a deeper voice, a larger clitoris, scalp hair loss, and more body and facial hair, cannot be reversed. The testosterone that’s used for masculinizing hormone therapy is identical to the hormone that the testicles and ovaries make naturally. Don’t use synthetic androgens, such as oral methyl testosterone or anabolic steroids. It’s unclear whether masculinizing hormone therapy raises the risk of ovarian and uterine cancer.

Testosterone also increases bone density, muscle mass, and insulin sensitivity in some men. “In my practice and most other andrology-focused practices, if a patient meets the criteria of hypogonadism, I offer testosterone therapy as long as there are no contraindications that make it unsafe for them to take,” Dr. Muthigi says. “Such conditions or factors may include a desire to maintain their current or future fertility, a recent heart attack or stroke, certain advanced prostate cancers that require hormone therapy, among others.” Whatever the cause, low levels of testosterone can not only result in a decline in sex drive and function, but can also contribute to a range of symptoms, including decreased muscle mass, weight gain, mood changes, fatigue and even osteoporosis (weakening of bone).

Without the testosterone, the hydrogel polymer has little mass and shrinks flat when prepared for scanning electron microscopy. Table 1 summarises the different administration approaches for HRT, citing the year they were first approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), along with the advantages and disadvantages of each preparation. It is clear from the table that patients have a variety of choices in the method of administration.

Because of this individualization approach, the procedure was never approved by the FDA. The skin absorbs the medication, but absorption rates vary from patient to patient. Not to mention, creams and gels can transfer from patients to other people, like kids and grandkids, which we don’t want. Symptoms may also be caused by other conditions, such as high blood pressure or diabetes. If any of these symptoms are bothering you, talk with your provider.