(Written by Dr. Farooq Ahmad of California Medical Weight Management.)
The general knowledge about testosterone is that it is a sex hormonal and its only function in the body is believed to be related with sexual functions. This, however, is not true. The fact is that in addition to sex organs, testosterone acts on many other tissues too, and correspondingly gives rise to a large number of diverse effects in the body.
For example in addition to sex organs, testosterone receptors are also found in bones, muscle, brain and many other places in the body. The action of testosterone on these different sites results in the appearance of secondary sex characters in boys like muscle and bone growth seen as growth spurt at puberty, voice changes, sex hair growth as well as mantle changes like sexuality, aggression, behavior changes etc.
However, as one of the processes of aging, the serum testosterone concentration gradually declines by 1.6% per year with aging, especially after 40 years of age.
The effects of decreased level of testosterone after middle age like decreased overall sexuality, erectile dysfunction and decreased amount of ejaculate are expected and known to everybody. What is less known is the adverse effects of low testosterone on non-sexual functions of body.
Studies have found a close association between men with obesity, the metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and low testosterone levels. It has been noted that the presence of low testosterone predicts the development of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. (Metabolic syndrome is the name given to the combined effect produced in the body by central obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and hypertension).
Development of metabolic syndrome is multifactorial, but the first step seems to be central obesity (or abdominal fatness). It is a common observation that men start developing abdominal obesity (protuberant belly) after middle age. This effect is the result of decreasing testosterone levels in the body. This is the beginning of a problem. The sequence of subsequent events goes somewhat like this: low testosterone levels cause central obesity and central obesity gives rise to different components of metabolic syndrome. This should make it easy to understand how low levels of testosterone can cause metabolic syndrome.
Whether testosterone supplements should be prescribed to treat or prevent metabolic syndrome, is still a question. Although small scale studies have shown good results in patients with type 2 diabetes, large randomized studies are needed to evaluate this putative role of testosterone. Given known adverse effects of testosterone therapy, this becomes even more important.
To learn more, visit California Medical Weight Management on the Web.
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