MEN'S HEALTH Testosterone is what creates men- .at what cost?

[papau]

http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-testosterone17oct17,0,3417451.story?track=tottext

SPECIAL MEN'S HEALTH ISSUE
The defining element
Testosterone is what creates men. Hormone therapy may help them keep their youthful vigor. But at what cost?
By Susan Brink
Times Staff Writer

October 17, 2005

<snip>Researchers are learning more about this hormone that first makes an embryo a boy, and then turns boys into men — increasingly with an eye on the hormone's role in the aging body. They're finding that testosterone replacement therapy can boost muscle mass, decrease fat deposits, improve sex drive, enhance energy level and increase bone density. It may also lift depression in some men.

They are also finding that the improvements can come at a cost.

As men age, slowly but relentlessly testosterone levels start to fall, beginning at about the age of 30 and at a rate of 1% to 2% a year. The brain becomes less predictable in regulating testosterone, and production within the testes drops off. Worse, the testosterone still produced is less able to enter the cells of muscles, bones and organs to do its work.

It is no coincidence that bad things begin to happen to a man's body, at the same relentless pace. Lean muscle mass is replaced by potbellies. Bones weaken. Memory fades. Fatigue and depression can set in. <snip>

There are some known side effects. Taking testosterone can cause acne, enlargement of male breasts and temporary infertility. It can worsen sleep apnea, a serious disorder that causes a person to stop breathing during sleep — sometimes hundreds of times a night.
<snip>

[MemphisTiger]

1. They should watch the episode of "40 Days"

that was on FX about the guy who wanted to get back in shape and took GH and testosterone injections. Within two weeks he had serious liver problems. Mens' Health is not the beacon of knowledge in the medical world. They are the Cosmo for men.