TESTOSTERONE: HORMONE OF CHAMPIONS

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feb-16It’s a strange thing. When we mention the word “estrogen” people tend to think of aging menopausal women and a host of irritating symptoms that can drive both women and men crazy. But mention “testosterone” and it’s a whole different picture; young, hunky studs with six packs (well, at least 4 packs). Babe magnets. Not quite so simple, guys. Let’s take a closer look at this complex hormone.

The body’s endocrine system consists of glands that manufacture hormones. The hypothalamus, located in the brain, tells the pituitary gland how much testosterone the body needs. The pituitary gland then sends the message to the testicles. Most testosterone is produced in the testicles, but small amounts come from the adrenal glands, which are located just above the kidneys. In women, the adrenal glands and ovaries produce small amounts of testosterone.

Before a boy is even born, testosterone is working to form male genitals. Testosterone production surges during adolescence and peaks in the late teens or early 20s. During puberty, rising levels of testosterone encourage the growth of the testicles and penis. As a man transitions from childhood to adulthood, testosterone begins to deepen his voice and spurs the growth of hair on the face, in the armpits, and around the genitals. Hair also may grow on the arms, legs, and chest. Testosterone is just one of many factors involved in the development of muscle bulk and strength. Testosterone increases neurotransmitters, which encourage tissue growth. It also interacts with nuclear receptors in DNA, which causes protein synthesis. Testosterone increases levels of growth hormones that play a part in making exercise more likely to build muscle. Testosterone increases bone density and tells the bone marrow to manufacture red blood Testosterone also plays a role in fat metabolism, helping men to burn fat more efficiently. So far, so good.

WHEN RAGING HORMONES START TO WHIMPER

When a woman is moody, it’s hormones. When a man is moody, it’s work stress or money problems or just one of those days.  Andropause is in many ways similar to menopause. While not all men are affected by the natural decrease in testosterone that comes with age, a lot are, including about 25 million men in the United States alone. After age 30, most men begin to experience a gradual decline in testosterone,” says David Samadi, MD, chairman of the urology department at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. Then testosterone levels drop about one percent each year.  About 4 out of 10 men over age 45 have low testosterone often referred to as “low T”. Although testosterone levels never reach zero (as estrogen levels do in women during menopause), declining testosterone levels can cause men to experience a host of symptoms they might not realize are due to low testosterone. “Low testosterone can also result when something happens like trauma or steroid use that prevents the testes from making the hormone,” says Bruce Gilbert, MD, PhD, an adjunct clinical professor of urology and reproductive medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and director of reproductive and sexual medicine at the Smith Institute for Urology of the North Shore-LIJ Health System. In discussing low T, there can be some confusion in other ways it is referred to. One is “hypogonadism”, the other “andropause.”

HYPO WHAT?

Hypogonadism is a condition where testosterone is not being produced due to a physical abnormality of the testes or brain.  It can also be due to an outside factor such as stress, poor diet or pre-existing health condition.

There are two basic types of hypogonadism:

  • This type of hypogonadism — also known as primary testicular failure — originates from a problem in the testicles.
  • This type of hypogonadism indicates a problem in the hypothalamus or the pituitary gland — parts of the brain that signal the testicles to produce testosterone. The hypothalamus produces gonadotropin-releasing hormone, which signals the pituitary gland to make follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). Luteinizing hormone then signals the testes to produce testosterone.

Either type of hypogonadism may be caused by an inherited (congenital) trait or something that happens later in life (acquired), such as an injury or an infection. At times, primary and secondary hypogonadism can occur together. According to the Mayo Clinic, hypogonadism can begin during fetal development, before puberty or during adulthood. Signs and symptoms depend on when the condition develops.

FETAL DEVELOPMENT

If the body doesn’t produce enough testosterone during fetal development, the result may be impaired growth of the external sex organs. Depending on when hypogonadism develops and how much testosterone is present, a child who is genetically male may be born with:

  • Female genitals
  • Ambiguous genitals — genitals that are neither clearly male nor clearly female
  • Underdeveloped male genitals

PUBERTY

Male hypogonadism may delay puberty or cause incomplete or lack of normal development. It can cause:

  • Decreased development of muscle mass
  • Lack of deepening of the voice
  • Impaired growth of body hair
  • Impaired growth of the penis and testicles
  • Excessive growth of the arms and legs in relation to the trunk of the body
  • Development of breast tissue (gynecomastia)

ADULTHOOD

In adult males, hypogonadism may alter certain masculine physical characteristics and impair normal reproductive function. Signs and symptoms may include:

  • Erectile dysfunction
  • Infertility
  • Decrease in beard and body hair growth
  • Decrease in muscle mass
  • Development of breast tissue (gynecomastia)
  • Loss of bone mass (osteoporosis)

Hypogonadism can also cause mental and emotional changes. As testosterone decreases, some men may experience symptoms similar to those of menopause in women. These may include:

  • Fatigue
  • Decreased sex drive
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Hot flashes

THIS OUGHT TO GIVE YOU PAUSE

First described medically in the 1940’s, andropause is a fairly common condition. Researchers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital have estimated that approximately five million men are affected by male menopause in the United States alone. Here’s the part that makes men cringe and women smile like Mona Lisa. Andropause is what is commonly referred to as “male menopause”. It is still the “change”. Men have it easier than women, but they still have it. The male menopause is much less abrupt than menopause. The signs and symptoms emerge more gradually and subtly, and the decrease in testosterone levels is nowhere near as estrogen is for women. When men reach their late forties to early fifties they may begin to experience symptoms (both physical and emotional) that bear some similarities to menopause.

  • Irritable Male Syndrome
  • Weight gain
  • Sleep apnea
  • Memory loss
  • Diminished libido
  • Hair Loss
  • Erectile dysfunction
  • Hot Flashes
  • Muscle loss
  • Depression
  • Fatigue
  • Night sweats in men
  • Gynecomastia (male breasts)

Hoping it was all a myth, weren’t you?

The imbalance of even one hormone causes imbalance in other hormones and can lead to a domino effect of sorts. Men may not experience all of the above andropause symptoms, but instead commonly experience a combination of symptoms. While these symptoms are usually a result of andropause, they may also be symptoms of other conditions like adrenal fatigue and poor thyroid health. It is key to know where the symptoms originate.

MAYBE IT’S YOUR KNOWLEDGE THAT’S DYSFUNCTIONAL

O.K…here are the two words that strike terror in the minds of men of all ages.

ERECTILE DYSFUNTION.

(Shhhh…it’s also called “impotence”.)

Erections are triggered by the body’s release of a tiny molecule called nitric oxide. But testosterone is what’s needed to trigger this release, and if there’s not enough of it, well, it’s a no go. According to the Cleveland Clinic, as many as 52 percent of men experience erectile dysfunction, with it affecting 40 percent of men age 40, and 70 percent of men age 70.  Previous research, led by physician-scientists at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, revealed that 65 percent of men with ED are unable to have an orgasm, and 58 percent have problems with ejaculation. The causes are often the same as for andropause. There is definitely a link between all the conditions mentioned here. Sorting them out is the critical issue.

Aging, diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, cigarette smoking, substance abuse (alcohol included), nerve or spinal cord damage, medications to treat high blood pressure, antihistamines, antidepressants, antacids and of, course, low testosterone (that tricky hormone) can play a big part. Psychological factors may also be responsible including, stress, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, posttraumatic stress disorder and fear of sexual performance. The more men think about it, the worse it gets. Men of all ages need to recognize this cycle and try to reduce the stress surrounding sex. It’s crazy.  It’s been shown that the simple act of putting on a condom causes so much stress that it can actually lead to erectile dysfunction. Honest. One of the biggest psychological barriers is that unlike a woman getting treated for menopause, men more often than not avoid discussing the matter with a doctor. So they leave the problem untreated and often stay away from sex altogether.

Now why would you want to do something as drastic as that?

YOU WON’T FIND THE ANSWERS AT WALMART

It’s a testosterone marketing frenzy. Men want miracles and the drug companies are more than eager to be there for them. The figures are staggering. Billions are spent advertising testosterone as the “Fountain of Youth”. As demand skyrockets, so do the plethora of products. Products where the manufacturers, suppliers and even pharmacies get the big boost, not you. Patches, nasal creams, powders, gels applied to arms, armpits, and abdomen or inside of the thigh. You can get coupons, rebates and discounts (UP TO 75% OFF!). Are you kidding? Are you buying this?

ALL THE AMMUNTION YOU NEED

When your hormones are imbalance you just don’t feel like yourself. You don’t know what’s wrong, you just feel that something is out of whack. Well you’re not alone. Almost everyone experiences some symptoms of hormone imbalance in their lives. As you’ve seen, testosterone imbalances can cause a list of problems greater than you probably imagined. Certainly, they’re troubling. A safe way to balance testosterone is with bioidentical hormone replacement therapy or BHRT. Bioidentical hormones are structurally and molecularly identical to those naturally made in the human body. BHRT can be a huge help if administered by the right doctor.

IN THIS CASE, IT’S DR. STEPHEN A. GOLDSTEIN, M.D, F.A.C.S. AT DENVER HORMONE HEALTH. WHEN YOUR HORMONES ARE IMBALANCE, IT’S IMPERATIVE TO FIND THE RIGHT SOLUTION. WHEN IT COMES TO DISCUSSING ANY ISSUES YOU MIGHT BE EXPERIENCING, DR. GOLDSTEIN CAN PUT YOU TOTALLY AT EASE. WITH HIS EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE IN THE FIELD, HE KNOWS THAT TESTING AND COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION OF YOUR RESULTS ARE CRITICAL FACTORS FOR SUCCESS. ONCE DETERMINING YOUR EXACT NEEDS, HE DEVELOPS AN INDIVIDUALIZED TREATMENT PROGRAM DESIGNED TO HELP RELIEVE AND IN MANY CASES ELIMINATE YOUR ISSUES.

THE ONE THING THAT ISN’T COMPLEX, IS THAT HIS HELP IS JUST A CALL AWAY. MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, COME IN, AND LET’S TALK.

ESTROGEN AND TESTOSTERONE DUKE IT OUT

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feb-16O.K. boys and girls. Did you know that all of us start life being female? No kidding. The default gender in the womb is female, which is hardly surprising given that the womb is an environment awash with female hormones. We’re born to have both estrogen and testosterone. You’re probably thinking that they’re as different as they can get. Not true. Actually, estrogen and testosterone both share almost identical structural formulas. So where does it go from there?

The Y chromosome that makes a baby a “boy” is an add-one chromosome that starts to act in the womb at around the eight-week of pregnancy. Once a baby’s testicles are formed (by the fifteenth week) they begin making testosterone, too. When he’s born, a baby boy has as much testosterone in his bloodstream as a twelve-year-old boy. Around this time is when brain masculinization takes place. At three months, his high testosterone levels drop off to about a fifth of the level at birth and for the next few years will stay quite low.

Estradiol, along with estrone and estriol are the three estrogen female hormones. Fetuses and female newborns are exposed to estradiol derived from their mother and their own gonads and are then synthesized locally in their brains. The actions of estradiol on the developing brain are part of the determination of sex differences.

So what else don’t you know?

DON’T BLAME THE MESSENGERS

To understand estrogen and testosterone, first you have to understand the function of hormones. A hormone is a chemical substance. It’s secreted by one tissue and travels by way of body fluids to affect another tissue in your body. In essence, hormones are “chemical messengers.” That’s why hormones cause cells, tissues and organs to grow and function differently. When hormones function properly, healthy messages spread throughout the body to create proper development. Estrogen and testosterone are considered the sex hormones.

Testosterone belongs to a class of male hormones called androgens that are sometimes called steroids or anabolic steroids. The brain’s hypothalamus and pituitary gland control testosterone production. The hypothalamus instructs the pituitary gland on how much testosterone to produce, and the pituitary gland passes the message on to the testes.

In women, estrogen is produced mainly in the ovaries, but is also produced by fat cells and the adrenal glands. The term “estrogen” actually refers to any of a group of chemically similar hormones. They are sometimes mistakenly referred to as exclusively female hormones, when as we’ve mentioned above, both men and women produce them.

PUMMELED BY PUBERTY

And then there comes a point where boys and girls are besieged by vatfuls of estrogen and testosterone flooding their bloodstreams as violently as a Mack Truck. The road to becoming a teenager is worthy of Le Mans. Navigating it is daunting, for the kids as well as the parents, far surpassing the terror of the “Terrible Twos”. The kids are unpredictable, frequently smelly and grow out of every item of clothing they have in the space of a few months. Their boredom threshold plummets and they do not seem able to concentrate on anything for more than five minutes at a time. You begin to wonder whether your child is a changeling, swapped with your own by an alien from the planet youtube when you weren’t looking.

This is what signals adulthood. Puberty is initiated by hormonal changes triggered by a part of the brain called the hypothalamus that stimulates the pituitary gland, which in turn activates other glands as well. These changes begin about a year before any of their results are visible. As mentioned above, the male reproductive hormone testosterone and female hormone estrogen are present in children of both sexes. However, their balance changes at puberty, with girls producing relatively more estrogen and boys producing more testosterone. Starting at early as 7 or 8, kids’ bodies begin to produce these hormones responsible for the changes of puberty. All these new chemicals move around inside their bodies turning them from teens into adults with the adult levels of hormones. It’s one of the reasons they become much more interested in sex, sometimes to the point of obsession. Noticed, huh?

WHO’S BODY IS THIS ANYWAY?

The first obvious sign of puberty is a growth spurt that typically occurs in girls between the ages of 10 and 14 and in boys between 12 and 16. Between these ages, both sexes grown about nine inches. The average girl gains about 38 pounds and the average boy gains about 42. Hands and feet grow faster than arms and legs. The nose, lips and ears grow before the head attains its full adult size. Increase in secretions from the sebaceous glands, triggered by the growth hormone androgen is responsible for acne, which affects about 75% of teenagers. Major Yuk and gawkiness!

Girl’s bodies also start to develop breasts or pubic hair. But the major landmark for them is the onset of menstruation.  For males, it is the first ejaculation. By age 14, boys’ testosterone levels hit a peak—800% over the level of toddlerhood. It’s enough to turn anyone inside out.

CAUTION: HORMONES FALLING

As teenagers our hormones are on the attack. As men get older, their testosterone levels decline about 1% per year after age 30 taking their muscle mass and libido with it. However, hormonal decline can begin as early as age 20 but the good thing is that it is easier to correct if noticed early. If you get measurements of your hormones while you are young and healthy, it will be easier to identify the ideals levels to restore them to. Though it may seem that these hormones decline because of aging, the opposite is true. Our hormones don’t decline because we age; we age because our hormones decline. Symptoms of declining testosterone also referred to as “Low T” are similar in adult men regardless of their age. These may include:

  • Change in erections
  • Decreased libido
  • Enlarged breasts
  • Hair loss
  • Increased body fat.
  • Fatigue
  • Reduced muscle mass
  • Depression
  • Brain Fog

WHY, OH WHY?

Although it is more rare for young men to suffer from low T, there are many reasons why it may happen:

  • High cholesterol levels
  • High blood pressure
  • Diabetes
  • Being overweigh or obese
  • Sedentary lifestyle
  • Regular smoking
  • AIDS
  • Anabolic steroid use
  • Excessive alcohol use
  • Hypothalamic or pituitary disease
  • Chronic illness such as liver disease or cancer

If you’re younger, doesn’t seem like much of the above affects you. Whew.

A woman’s production of estrogen starts to decline in her mid-30s. Most women enter menopause between the age of 45 and 55 when menstrual periods stop and hormone levels drop sharply.  First to go is your testosterone, then your progesterone and finally your estrodial. At this point a woman’s estrogen production is only about one-tenth the amount it was before menopause. But perimenopause can begin in some women in their 30’s

IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A BATTLE

The human body secretes and circulates some 50 different hormones. Low levels of just one hormone can lead to uncomfortable symptoms and may impair production of other hormones, leading to a complex web of imbalance. And to feel our best, balance is everything. This is where bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can help. BHRT is exactly what it sounds like; it is using hormones that are biologically identical to the hormones you naturally make in your body instead of synthetic or animal hormones that do not exist naturally in the human body. Is there somewhere you can go to discuss all this?

Absolutely.

STEPHEN A. GOLDSTEIN, M.D, F.A.C.S. AT DENVER HORMONE HEALTH IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE FIELD OF BHRT. THE EXTENT OF HIS EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE IS ONLY PART OF THE REASON HE IS THE RIGHT SPECIALIST TO SEE. IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU AND YOUR HEALTH. SO HE STARTS BY LISTENING TO WHAT SYMPTOMS YOU MIGHT BE EXPERIENCING. THEN WITH STATE-OF-THE-ART TESTING, HE CAN DETERMINE YOUR EXACT DEFICIENCIES OR EXCESSES OF DIFFERENT HORMONES IN YOUR BODY. IF YOU NEED HELP, HE’LL KNOW JUST WHAT YOU NEED, CREATING AN INTEGRATED, UNIQUE SOLUTION TO HELP RESTORE THE BALANCE THAT WILL HELP YOU GET RELIEF AND LIVE A HEALTHIER LIFE.

CALL TODAY TO GET STARTED FEELING YOUR BEST.

THE MECHANICS OF AGING

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12-15-428OUT WITH THE OLD

THE ENDOCRINE THEORY

Simply put, the endocrine system is a network of glands that secrete chemicals called hormones to help your body function properly. The glands of the endocrine system are:

  • Hypothalamus
  • Pineal gland
  • Pituitary gland
  • Thyroid
  • Parathyroid
  • Thymus
  • Adrenal
  • Pancreas
  • Ovaries
  • Testes

These glands produce different types of hormones that evoke a specific response in other cells, tissues, and/or organs located throughout the body. The hormones reach these faraway targets using the blood stream. Like the nervous system, the endocrine system is one of your body’s main communicators. But instead of using nerves to transmit information, the endocrine system uses blood vessels to deliver hormones to cells.

Endocrine diseases are common and usually occur when glands produce an incorrect amount of hormones. Some of the processes and systems they help control are growth and development, homeostasis (the internal balance of body systems), metabolism, reproduction and response to stress and/or injury.

TELOMERES ARE EXTREMELY TELLING

Telomeres?

Inside the nucleus of a cell, our genes are arranged along twisted, double-stranded molecules of DNA called chromosomes. At the ends of the chromosomes are stretches of DNA called telomeres, which protect our genetic data, make it possible for cells to divide, and hold some secrets to how we age and get cancer.

Telomeres have been compared with the plastic tips on shoelaces, because they keep chromosome ends from fraying and sticking to each other, which would destroy or scramble an organism’s genetic information.

Yet, each time a cell divides, the telomeres get shorter. When they get too short, the cell can no longer divide; it becomes inactive or it dies. This shortening process is associated with aging, cancer, and a higher risk of death.

OUR HORMONES GET TIRED BEFORE WE DO

Our bodies produce almost 200 hormones daily that float around keeping the body functioning properly. They have the huge jobs to moderate and maintain what is going on inside us. The endocrine glands must release the correct amount of hormones. If they release too much or too little, it is known as a hormone imbalance. Endocrine diseases are common and happen when even one step in the process doesn’t work as it should.

The most dramatic thing about functional changes in the endocrine system is the decline in the concentration of reproductive hormones. In addition, age-related changes in other tissues affect their abilities to respond to hormonal stimulation. As a result, most tissues become less responsive to circulating hormones.

The hormone or endocrine theory of aging asserts that the most important factors in aging are the changes brought about in the body by the endocrine system. The complex endocrine system of our body controls the hormones that regulate many body processes. As we age, these systems become less efficient, leading to changes in our bodies such as menopause. The hormone theory of aging believes that these changes eventually cause the effects of aging.

There is a ton of work that falls on the levels of our hormones and their complex functions. Just the study of this is exhausting, especially with new research being revealed all the time.

KEEPING THE PARTS FROM FALLING APART

It’s sort of like a multi-car pile up when attention is placed only on one aspect of the crash. Rather, it’s an intricate chain reaction that needs to be examined car by car to see the extent of damages to each vehicle and their passengers. You’ve put a lot of wear and tear on your body through the years and now is the time to keep your foot to the pedal, and cautiously and carefully move forward. As people get older, they seem to spend more time reading and researching natural ways to get the body moving and perform as well as it once did. You’ll find them in pharmacy isles dumping “natural replacements” into their carts. Or reading all about holistic ways to turn back the clock. None of these options keep the hands of the clock running smoothly. Batteries die. You can overdose from over-the-counter supplements that are not taken at safe levels. The secret is to keep the parts running smoothly together, making your body hum with health and longevity.

WHILE THE MECHANICAL OF THIS MAY APPEAR OVERWHELMING, THERE IS SOMEONE WHO CAN EXPLAIN IT TO YOU IN TERMS YOU’LL BOTH UNDERSTAND AND WANT TO WORK ON. STEPHEN A. GOLDSTEIN, M.D. AT DENVER HORMONE HEALTH HAS DEDICATED HIMSELF TO LOOK AT THE SYSTEM AS A WHOLE, INDIVIDUAL BY INDIVIDUAL. HIS EXPERTISE IN THE PROCESS OF HORMONE HEALTH MAKES HIM THE PERFECT CHOICE TO BRING YOUR ISSUES AND PROBLEMS (OR PERCEIVED PROBLEMS) TO. FIRST, HE TAKES THE TIME TO LISTEN. TO ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS. THEN WITH A SIMPLE SERIES OF TESTS DETERMINES YOUR SPECIFIC HORMONE IMBALANCES AND VITAMIN DEFICIENCIE. ALL OF WHICH HE CAN HELP, ONE CASE AT A TIME. YOU WANT TO FEEL BETTER. HE WANTS YOU TO FEEL YOUR VERY BEST.

SO CALL NOW OR REQUEST MORE INFORMATION.