Testosterone is predominantly found in males and is produced by the testes, but the ovaries of females also produce a certain amount of hormone. Testosterone has a huge impact on almost all organs. In sexual functioning, it increases libido and promotes the development of secondary sexual characteristics in adolescent males, such as their hair growth. In the brain, testosterone helps regulate concentration, memory and mood which means a decrease levels of testosterone can lead to depression. Testosterone also works to increase energy, produce red blood cells and protect against osteoporosis.
As men grow older, they tend to develop a spare tyre around their mid-section. This paunch has been blamed on many things, including excessive alcohol drinking and lack of physical activity. But now, experts are looking at another possible reason why men grow fat as they age: falling testosterone levels. There’s an inverse relationship between levels of testosterone and levels of fat in a man’s body – the lower his testosterone levels, the more fat he accumulates.
Meanwhile, low levels of testosterone can lead to deficiency syndrome (TDS). TDS is like menopause in women. TDS happens more commonly in men in their mid-40s and above and they suffer unknowingly from it, experiencing mood changes, abnormal deposition of body fat, increased triglycerides and blood cholestrol.
This abnormal fat deposit tends to concentrate around the internal abdominal organs. The belly fat or visceral fat is worse than fat elsewhere in the body because it can predispose you to metabolic syndrome. Simply put the metabolic syndrome is the name of a group of conditions linked to being over-weight and obese, including heart disease, erectile dysfunction, stroke and diabetes.
Unfortunately, many physicians do not see the association between low testosterone levels and metabolic syndrome. Sometimes, doctors only treat the specific disease e.g. cardiologists treat hypertension, urologists treat erectile dysfunction and endocrinologists treat diabetes without seeing how these metabolic disorders may be tied to low testosterone levels. Doctors instead should try to look at treating these disorders by normalizing testoterone levels through testosterone replacement. Take a step back and see if testosterone replacement plays a role in all of these, if TDS is the root cause. Even if it is not the major factor in the functioning of a patient’s body.
Metabolic syndrome can be determined by your waist circumference. Researchers said a waistline greater than 37 inches in Asian men is a risk factor for metabolic syndrome. Recent studies show how men with a waistline above 39 inches also had low testosterone levels, while men with a waistline 35 inches all displayed normal testosterone levels. Testosterone replacement together with proper diet and exercise, helps patient to lose weight and decrease their waist by 1-2 inches in just a month.
Early diagnosis leads to cure and the earlier you pick up these warning signs, the better are the chances of your doctor helping you.
THE RED FLAGS
- Being 40 years or older.
- Increased waist circumference.
- Generalized weakness.
- Mood swings
- Abnormal fasting blood sugar.
- Abnormal cholesterol levels.
- Erectile dysfunction.
- Hypertension.
- Coronary heart disease.
info on metabolic syndrome here – Metabolic Syndrome