Approximately one in 500 men have some level of testosterone deficiency (also called hypogonadism). Low testosterone levels are not related to masculinity. "Macho" men are as just as likely to experience hypogonadism as any other man. Hypogonadism can be caused by many things, including:
• Disease (such as mumps or HIV)
• Trauma (a direct injury to the testes)
• Genetic abnormalities (such as Klinefelters syndrome or Hemochromatosis)
• Medication (such as prednisone or morphine)
• Tumors
• Medical treatment (such as radiation or chemotherapy)
• Aging
The most common cause of testosterone deficiency is aging. On average, a mans testosterone levels start to drop 10 percent per decade beginning at age 30. When a man turns 50 years old, his production of testosterone decreases rapidly. By some estimates, as many as 68 percent of men older than age 70 have some level of testosterone deficiency.
To compensate for lower testosterone levels, a mans body produces higher amounts of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), further reducing the amount of testosterone available to muscles, blood production, brain, and more. Symptoms of lower testosterone in adult men include:
• Bone loss
• Decreased muscle mass
• Decreased muscle strength
• Decreased sex drive
• Erectile dysfunction
• Hot flashes
• Increased breast size
• Increased upper and central body fat
• Infertility
• Loss of body hair
• Reduction in size of testicles
• Irritability
• Concentration difficulties
• Depression
• Memory loss
When testosterone levels are low enough, or low long enough, a man is at increased risk for osteoporosis. Its possible that as many as one in eight men age 50 and older has bone loss. Additionally, low testosterone levels have been linked with atherosclerosis, suggesting that hypogonadism puts a man at increased risk for cardiovascular problems. Finally, low testosterone levels has been linked with a decline in memory and other cognitive skills in older men.
About The Author
Julie Rimmer is a leading medical researcher and has been writing for numerous medical journals for the past 10 years.
For further information and resources on the pros and cons of testosterone, be sure to visit her site at