Low Testosterone and Your Health

Obesity and low testosterone are tightly linked. Obese men are more likely to have low testosterone. Men with very low testosterone are also more likely to become obese.

Fat cells metabolize testosterone to estrogen, lowering testosterone levels. Also, obesity reduces levels of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), a protein that carries testosterone in the blood. Less SHBG means less free testosterone.

Losing weight through exercise can increase testosterone levels.

Metabolic Syndrome and Low Testosterone

Metabolic syndrome is the name for a condition that includes the presence of abnormal cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, waistline obesity, and high blood sugar. Metabolic syndrome increases the risk for heart attacks and strokes.

Studies show that men with low testosterone are more likely to develop metabolic syndrome. In short-term studies, testosterone replacement improved blood sugar levels and obesity in men with low testosterone. However, testosterone therapy increases the risk of heart disease, so it is not used to treat metabolic syndrome.
Testosterone and Heart Disease

Testosterone has mixed effects on the arteries. Many experts believe testosterone contributes to the higher rates of heart disease and high blood pressure that tend to affect men at younger ages. By this reasoning, high testosterone might be bad for the heart.

But testosterone deficiency is connected to insulin resistance, obesity, and diabetes. Each of these problems increases cardiovascular risk. Men with diabetes and low testosterone also have higher rates of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.

A certain amount of testosterone may be necessary for healthy arteries because it’s converted into estrogen, which protects arteries from damage. As yet, no studies show that testosterone replacement protects the heart or prevents heart attacks.

Testosterone and Other Conditions

Low testosterone often exists with other medical conditions: 

Studies to answer these questions are under way, but it will be years before we know the results. In the meantime, remember that testosterone replacement hasn’t been conclusively shown to improve any health condition other than testosterone deficiency and its symptoms. For men with low testosterone levels as measured by a blood test who also have symptoms of low testosterone, the decision to take testosterone replacement is one to make with your doctor.

Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) should only be used for men with low testosterone for erectile dysfunction/low libido, when other treatments have not been effective. It is also indicated for transgender Female>Male assignments.