The 'Is TRT safe' debate has raged on for decades. Many studies show testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) to be safe, restorative, and protective. But, some people remain unaware of TRT's potential benefits for long-term health. Modern studies [1] show TRT is safe, yet stigma still holds many people back.
It is time to see the facts for what they are - TRT is nothing to fear.
What Does Testosterone Do?
Testosterone production starts in the gonads via Leydig cells in the testes and ovaries in women. Although the adrenal glands also make small quantities in both sexes. As we age, testosterone production slows, and symptoms of aging start to set in. This decline is hugely significant because testosterone maintains muscle mass and fat loss.
It improves mood, supports sexual function, and protects against certain diseases. So, as it declines, the protection it provides to your mind and body starts to diminish. We can avoid many uncomfortable and dangerous symptoms by replacing these lost hormones.
Testosterone replacement therapy can offer protection from:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Stroke
- Heart attacks
- Excess body fat
- Erectile dysfunction
- Type 2 diabetes
- Metabolic syndrome
- Alzheimer's
- Hypertension
- Osteoporosis
- Arthritis
- Certain cancers
- Inflammation
The benefits don't just stop there. Testosterone also helps improve lean muscle mass, bone density, skin tone, libido, and even reverse erectile dysfunction.
When Did Testosterone Deficiency Become Recognized?
Testosterone was first isolated in 1935 and approved for medical use in 1939. In the 1940s, doctors recognized that testosterone deficiency (TD) adversely impacts men's health. Testosterone levels slowly decline when men reach their 30s and 40s, and symptoms associated with TD can appear as production slows.
All men are different and experience signs of low T at various hormone levels. But, in their 40s, many experience symptoms often blamed on 'getting older.' The truth is that it may not be just symptoms of old age they are experiencing. Hormone decline is often to blame.
What are the typical symptoms of low testosterone?
TRT has a Long History
Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) started at the beginning of the 1940s. Since then, it's taken the world a while to realize the true potential of this incredibly effective form of treatment. For the past 70-80 years, fears that TRT causes prostate cancer, blood clots, and heart attacks have slowed progress in this field of medicine. Even after years of research showing that these worries are untrue, people still ask, 'Is TRT safe,' many remain hesitant about TRT.
It's Time to Embrace Your Hormones
When following the correct protocols, BHRT has the potential to change the direction of modern medicine completely. Doctors no longer have to wait for people to get ill before treating them. Above all, using hormones can protect patients from many age-related issues and diseases.
In short, testosterone deficiency, not hormone replacement, is the danger. Testosterone replacement therapy can help reverse and avoid the many pitfalls of aging. In a perfect world, all men over 45 would use TRT. Let's dismiss the myths around TRT and show it's safe and effective and that clinical evidence shows it!
What do Studies Say About the Benefits of TRT?
Testosterone Therapy Builds Muscle, Reduces Fat, and Improves Body Composition
The leading cause of many age-related diseases in men is visceral fat. Evidence also shows many overweight men have lower testosterone levels. There are countless studies showing TRT helps combat weight gain and reduces visceral fat, and the solution seems pretty obvious.
TRT increases muscle mass and reduces fat. TRT also improves skeletal muscle and bone density. Long-term, TRT reduces waist circumference, helps stop fat cells from forming, and improves body mass index.
These benefits are not surprising when you consider that testosterone regulates your metabolism. It also aids the conversion of proteins into muscle, potentially reversing muscle loss. This study [10] shows that higher testosterone levels reduce the loss of lean body mass, meaning more strength, stronger bones, and less fat.
Testosterone Improves Sexual Function
Recent clinical studies provide solid evidence [8] that testosterone plays a significant role in maintaining sexual function. Erectile dysfunction, low libido, and low testosterone are closely linked. Evidence shows that TRT can restore sexual function for many men who suffer from it.
With all the evidence and trials demonstrating testosterone's power over sexual function and sex drive, we can no longer ignore TRT as a remedy. Studies [9] show testosterone affects nitric oxide (NO) production and how you gain an erection.
If you have low testosterone levels, your body may not produce enough nitric oxide, which is necessary for erections. In effect, this can make standard ED medications ineffective.
Sexual health is an integral part of overall well-being. Sexual dysfunction is closely associated with depression, low self-esteem, and reduced mood. Therefore, one should no longer ignore that TRT is an effective therapy for improving men's quality of life.
Restoring testosterone levels can increase the effectiveness of drugs like Viagra and Cialis. If you can improve your mental and physical health, in many cases, you won't need to rely on ED medication.
Testosterone Therapy Reduces Cardiovascular Risk
Plenty of evidence indicates that you are more likely to have coronary artery disease if you have reduced testosterone. A particular problem is plaque forming in your arteries (atherosclerosis), which is directly affected by lower testosterone levels. [11]
One study states:
"There is an urgent need among the medical community and public for greater awareness of the positive impact of TD on general health in men with TD."
Traish A. 2017 Jan
The use of testosterone began in the 1940s to treat testosterone-deficient men with angina. One of the earliest studies was in 1946, where 91 subjects with angina improved their condition using testosterone.
Amongst all its other benefits, testosterone protects and maintains cardiovascular function. As levels fall, it is hardly surprising that obesity, metabolic syndrome, dyslipidemia, hypertension, insulin resistance, and diabetes cases increase. Testosterone therapy improves overall body composition. In other words, it reduces waist size and BMI, all risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and metabolic syndrome.
TRT combats the causes of metabolic syndrome by:
- Improving lipid profiles
- Reducing blood glucose
- Improving insulin sensitivity
- Reducing inflammation
- Drastically improving cardio-metabolic function.
This impressive list of benefits shows TRT's potential impact on cardiovascular health.
Testosterone Therapy Improves Mood and Depression.
Multiple studies report TRT's enormous positive impact on a patient's emotional well-being. Conversely, the adverse effect reduced testosterone has on men is wide-reaching. It thus plays a significant role in depression.
TRT can improve mood, offering relief from the most common symptoms of low T - obesity, ED, loss of libido, loss of muscle, and reduced energy.
Testosterone Therapy Protects You from Muscle Loss and Frailty.
Many men lose strength, stamina, lean muscle, and bone density as they age. As a natural process due to aging, this can result in reduced physical function, known as sarcopenia. This condition usually causes slow gait speed (walking) and low grip strength and is central to the development of frailty.
Sarcopenia causes limited mobility and a higher risk of falls and fractures. It also impairs physical function, causing disability, loss of independence, and increased mortality. Ultimately, sarcopenia is one of the biggest causes of people requiring home care or even moving into permanent care homes.
This decline in strength is different for men and women. Studies [13] show that men lose muscle mass faster than women of the same age. So why is this?
Researchers now believe there is a link between loss of muscle in men and falling testosterone levels as they age. Men with higher testosterone [14] levels suffer less muscle loss, slowing the effects of physical decline
If men retain their muscle strength, they can often avoid many pitfalls associated with natural aging. These include broken bones, balance problems, risk of falls, and loss of confidence.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you can contact our friendly team for the best advice. They can help you regain your strength and confidence.
The False Fear of Hormones
The fear that testosterone causes prostate cancer has long been put to bed, but the stigma continues. Rest assured - no modern studies prove any connection. Due to lingering misinformation, many doctors and patients fear hormone replacement therapy. If testosterone did cause cancer, all young men (with naturally high levels) would suffer the so-called ill effects of testosterone.
TRT Does Not Cause Prostate Cancer
Commonly, people wonder, 'Is TRT safe for the prostate.' Studies on the relationship between testosterone levels and prostate cancer risk have failed to find any association [15], [16]. Prostate cancer rates between those on TRT and those who aren't are very similar. With that in mind, you can safely say that TRT does not cause prostate cancer.
An extensive meta-analysis involving 18 prospective studies and over 3500 men has debunked the connection between testosterone and prostate cancer [17]. This collaborative examination of global data on endogenous hormones and prostate cancer risk showed that serum concentrations of sex hormones were not correlated with the risk of developing prostate cancer.
The modern understanding is that the prostate is like a sponge for testosterone [18]. Once the receptors are saturated (like when you were younger), there is no room for more testosterone to soak in. Therefore, the androgen receptors are full, and prostate growth becomes insensitive to changes. The evidence suggests a limit to the ability of androgens to stimulate prostate cancer growth.
However, if testosterone falls, the prostate can grow. This theory may explain why testosterone does not directly cause prostate cancer [19], but it, in some cases, can accelerate development.
Scientists still debate the link between testosterone and prostate cancer. While traditional treatment involves androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for advanced prostate cancer, recent studies challenge this. Research shows no clear link between testosterone levels and prostate cancer risk.
There's no proof that low T levels protect against prostate cancer or that normal testosterone levels increase the risk. Testosterone levels drop with age, and prostate cancer rates rise, suggesting low T might contribute to cancer, while normal testosterone may be protective.
Estrogen And The Prostate
Testosterone naturally converts in the body into a type of estrogen called estradiol. This crucial hormone has powerful protective benefits for the prostate. Because estradiol is a by-product of testosterone, you are more exposed to prostate cancer risk if levels fall too low. Optimizing your testosterone levels throughout life for the best protection is the answer.
"In this collaborative analysis of the worldwide data on endogenous hormones and prostate cancer risk, serum concentrations of sex hormones were not associated with the risk of prostate cancer."
TRT Does Not Cause Heart Attacks (In Fact, it May Protect You From it)
The next fear is that TRT increases the chances of developing cardiovascular disease and heart attacks. In reality, these claims come from flawed studies, falsehoods publicized by the press, and a lack of understanding in the medical community. Studies [20] now say the opposite - TRT is more likely good for your heart and cardiovascular system.
"There are no large long-term, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trials to provide definitive conclusions about TRT and CV risk. However, there currently is no credible evidence that T therapy increases CV risk and substantial evidence that it does not. In fact, existing data suggests that T therapy may offer CV benefits to men."
Goodale T, Sadhu A, Petak S, Robbins R. Testosterone and the Heart. Methodist Debakey Cardiovasc J. 2017
TRT Does Not Cause Blood Clots
Another unfounded fear is that TRT causes blood clots and strokes. New extensive observational studies [21][22] investigated the effect of T therapy on 30,572 middle-aged older men. It showed that those prescribed TRT were not at increased risk from blood clots than others.
In 2014, the FDA passed a law requiring all testosterone medications to carry a product warning of a potential risk of blood clots. It is essential to recognize this change in law resulted from conflicting case reports and post-marketing surveillance on the effects of testosterone on patients.
Ultimately, the FDA ruling was based on a single flawed study by Glueck. He took men who already had blood clotting disorders and gave them testosterone. To no surprise, some of them developed blood clots. There was no control group, and the participants were already likely to get blood clots.
Unfortunately for many men, this has steered them away from seeking help for their low testosterone symptoms. As a result, they are more at risk from severe side effects of low T, like obesity, type 2 diabetes, decreased muscle, and sexual dysfunction.
Men should feel safe because we cannot find a single verified study that confirms TRT causes blood clots. But there are lots of new studies saying it does not.
If it's so Good, Why Doesn't Everyone Take TRT?
The simple answer to why many are scared of TRT is because of bad publicity and flawed evidence. The constant reference by the medical profession and media to weak studies shows they are not looking at the evidence. The media's scare stories have created what can only be described as 'hormonophobia.'
Millions of men and women may have had the wool pulled over their eyes by nothing more than insufficient evidence. The truth is that their health and quality of life would likely significantly improve with TRT.
Hormones are Good for You
With Male Excel's TRT program, all we are doing is replacing hormones lost through natural causes. By replacing lost hormones such as testosterone, most people experience significant improvements in sexual desire and erectile function. Men receiving testosterone therapy also often report improvements in mood and fewer depressive symptoms.
The benefits of testosterone therapy include the following:
- Relief from metabolic syndrome
- Reduction in fat mass and increased lean body mass
- Increased insulin sensitivity
- Improved lipid profile
- Improved blood pressure
- Reduced inflammation
- Improved LUTS (lower urinary tract symptoms)
- Reduced mortality
- Improvement in overall quality of life.
Is TRT Safe to Take For Life?
The unfounded argument that the benefits of T therapy remain unproven should be laid to rest once and for all, and the public and medical world should stop asking, 'Is TRT safe?' The studies in this article suggest that we can no longer deny the health benefits of testosterone therapy.
The findings and all the studies quoted in this article should serve as a reminder not to fear TRT. Men should feel reassured, and physicians should gain new confidence that TRT fears are unfounded. The available studies should remind people to bring common sense to the discussion. This study 1 and the others we have looked at in this article should give everybody faith in TRT.
With many new studies showing how effective TRT can be, it should be clear that maintaining your hormone levels is good. Low testosterone is a significant risk marker for early death.
In summary
Your arteries and veins carry blood around the body, delivering oxygen and nutrients to tissues and removing waste. Testosterone replacement therapy helps increase the oxygen and nutrient supply. With more oxygen in your blood, your body is more able to remove metabolic waste, which can reverse help reverse chronic inflammation. TRT also reduces fat, aids glucose metabolism, increases lean body mass, and improves the overall quality of life.
But is TRT safe? The latest data proves no increased risk of prostate cancer, heart disease, or blood clots. Hormone replacement therapy needs to be the new normal. A preventative, restorative medication all men should consider in later life. Replacing hormones is affordable, easy to administer, and easy to monitor.
At Male Excel, we feel the current medical 'set standards' ignore significant proportions of the population - men who could benefit significantly from this TRT.
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