Testosterone: The Good, the Bad, and the Contradictory

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http://www.hfn-usa.com/articles/a103-Testosterone.html

 

Testosterone:

The Good, the Bad, and the Contradictory

 

By Lane Lenard, PhD

 

A new study has confirmed that high levels of testosterone are associated with

lower blood pressure, reduced risk of heart attacks, improved immune function,

and smaller waistlines. But in a bizarre twist, the results of this study seem

to show that the same men, who reap the benefits of high testosterone levels,

may wind up killing themselves by smoking and drinking to excess or by indulging

in other risky behaviors that can lead to personal injury.

 

The researchers, led by Dr. Alan Booth, a professor of sociology and human

development at Penn State University, measured testosterone levels (using saliva

samples) in more than 4,300 men between the ages of 32 and 44 years. They found

that those men who had the highest levels of testosterone had a 45% lower risk

of high blood pressure, a 72% lower risk of having a heart attack, and an 8%

lower risk of having three or more colds a year. These men were also 45% less

likely to rate their health as fair or poor.

 

On the other hand, the men with high testosterone levels were 25% more likely to

report injuries, 32% more likely to drink alcohol heavily (5 or more drinks per

day), and 151% more likely to smoke tobacco.

 

The health benefits of high testosterone suggested in this study confirm what

has been seen in scores of other studies over the last 60 to 70 years, but the

men’s high risk behavior remains a bit of a puzzle. Since the Penn State

researchers measured testosterone levels but did not attempt to alter them, it

is impossible to say, based on their results, whether the high testosterone

levels caused the high risk behavior, or was merely a result of them.

 

Many other studies over the years, in which men with low testosterone levels due

to aging or disease, had their levels elevated by taking supplementary

testosterone or precursors (e.g., androstenedione) have reported similar health

benefits to those shown in the current study. These include lower blood

pressure, improved blood lipid profiles (i.e., lower LDL- cholesterol and

triglycerides), less tendency of blood to clot abnormally, less risk of angina

pectoris, reduced abdominal obesity, larger lean muscle and bone mass, less risk

of prostate disease, enhanced sexuality, better mood, and improved cognitive

function. However, the kinds of high-risk behaviors shown here have never been

associated with high testosterone levels in these studies, even when levels of

the hormone are hundreds of times above normal for weeks or months at a time.

 

In fact, other research by Booth and colleagues suggests that testosterone

levels may rise as a result of, or even in anticipation of certain behaviors,

such as athletic competition. The possibility remains, therefore, that the

self-destructive behaviors they found in the current study might be the cause of

the high testosterone and not the result.

 

###

 

Dr. Lenard is the co-author, with Jonathan Wright, MD, of the new book, Maximize

Your Vitality & Potency For Men Over 40. He is also author of The Smart Guide to

Andro. (Andro is a supplement that effectively raises testosterone levels.)

 

References

 

1. Booth A, Johnson DR, Granger DA. Testosterone and men's health. J Behav Med.

1999;22:1-19.

 

2. Booth A, Mazur AC, Dabbs JM, Jr. Endogenous testosterone and competition: the

effect of " fasting " . Steroids. 1993;58:348-50.

 

3. Booth A, Shelley G, Mazur A, Tharp G, Kittok R. Testosterone, and winning and

losing in human competition. Horm Behav. 1989;23:556-71.

 

 

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