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Here are two articles on testosterone, the hormone of aggression and violence. Typically known as "the male hormone," it's effect on women is considerable.
Testosterone loss decreases women's quality of life
Tuesday, February 04, 2003 By Rallie McAllister, MD
Tuesday, February 04, 2003 By Rallie McAllister, MD
When you hear the word testosterone, you probably think of manly men with deep voices, bulging biceps and hairy chests. It's true that testosterone is the essence of masculinity, but it's also a woman's hormone. Like estrogen, the production of testosterone in women drops off significantly after menopause. Although the adrenal glands continue to manufacture small amounts of the hormone, the ovaries stop making it altogether, and testosterone levels begin to fall.
While the effects of estrogen deficiency that occur with menopause are well understood, far less is known about the impact of low testosterone levels in postmenopausal women. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that women with low testosterone levels were more prone to suffer from fatigue, depression and loss of libido than women with higher levels.
Although doctors have been prescribing testosterone replacement therapy for men since the 1930s, it wasn't until recently that the treatment was considered acceptable for women. In spite of its many proven benefits, the treatment is still quite controversial. The potential for unwelcome side effects keeps most women from trying it and prevents many physicians from recommending it.
On the plus side, the addition of testosterone to traditional hormone replacement therapy has been shown to improve energy levels, enhance feelings of well being, and bolster libido. For menopausal women who continue to experience hot flashes and night sweats even after taking estrogen, supplemental testosterone often provides relief.
The goal of testosterone replacement therapy for women is not to transform them into masculine creatures with bulging biceps and hairy chests, but rather to replicate pre-menopausal levels. For some women, a touch of testosterone may be all it takes to dramatically improve the quality of life.
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Copyright 2002 Kingsport Times-News. All rights reserved. This material must be credited to the Times-News when redistributed or broadcast.
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Copyright 2002 Kingsport Times-News. All rights reserved. This material must be credited to the Times-News when redistributed or broadcast.
Privacy Statement and Terms of Use
And now something about testosterone in men. It's also the preferred hormone for body builders -- both men and women -- and considered dangerous to your health in high doses.
Testosterone in Blood Linked to Better Memory
November 04, 2002 10:21 AM ET By Alison McCook
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Older men with relatively high levels of testosterone in their blood tend to outperform others in tests of memory and other aspects of mental functioning, according to new study findings.
Lead author Dr. Susan Resnick of the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore, Maryland, told Reuters Health that she is not sure whether testosterone itself helps men retain some of their mental abilities into old age, or if the hormone becomes converted into estrogen in the brain, and it is the female hormone that boosts the organ's function.
This is not the first study to report a link between blood levels of free-floating testosterone and memory in older men. One study demonstrated that men who received a weekly injection of the male sex hormone seemed to experience improvements in their spatial abilities and verbal memory.
Just how hormones influence memory remains unclear, she noted, but previous studies have shown that hormones can affect how much blood circulates to the brain, as well as the activity of nerve cells. With so much still unclear, Resnick emphasized that people should not turn to testosterone to avert mental declines in old age. "We don't recommend that people go out and buy that," she said.
SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 2002;87:5001-5007.
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Two important things to keep in mind when considering testosterone. Too much testosterone in women will cause side effects, usually starting with increased facial hair . . . and too much in men stimulates prostate gland growth, possibly leading to prostate cancer.
The above is not meant to be medical advice. Please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc. Best wishes. Dr. Rehert
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