Tag Archives: Hormone Therapy

Low Testosterone Levels Causes Depression

January 12, 2015

Low Testosterone Levels Linked To Depression

low testosterone levelThe importance of hormones in our bodies can never be underestimated. The hormones are the chemical messengers that help our bodies to accomplish most of its functions. Without hormones, there is nothing that can be accomplished in our bodies, think of it as a chain that is cut in the middle, that means that the wheel cogs has nothing to hold onto so as to power the wheels to initiate movement. These chemical messengers travel in your bloodstream to tissues and organs. The hormones affect such crucial processes as growth and development, metabolism, Sexual function, Reproduction and Moods among other crucial functions.

In men the most dominant hormone is referred to as testosterone. This hormone is known to many as the sex hormone but in reality it has more than just function. It does much more. It is produced in the testes in men and it’s responsible for the physique of a man as it responsible for masculinity. It does other vital functions like production of red blood cells, increasing bone mineral density, distribution of fats in the body and even regulation of moods in men. Low testosterone denies a person a chance to enjoy some of the good feelings that are associated with optimum levels of this hormone. Those who have low testosterone levels suffer bad moods and may find it difficult maintaining relations in social circles.

Low testosterone levels may come as a result of age, as people grow the production of hormones become slowed. an aging person will exhibit symptoms of low testosterone levels and these may include; fatigue, hair loss, low moods, loss of muscle mass, increased body fats, decrease in bone mass, irritability, loss of focus and depression.

Low testosterone levels linked to Depression

In the past researchers have been able to establish the relationship between high levels of testosterone hormone to good feelings and reduction of chances of developing anxiety and depression. Researchers have also been able to link low testosterone levels to depression.

Today many men are suffering from symptoms of low testosterone levels, in the United States alone, the numbers of men who have fallen victims to depression have doubled the number of women suffering from the same. This can be attributed to the many roles that this hormone plays in men. Scientists have proved that maintaining an optimum level of testosterone hormone is an effective way of fighting depression. In a study that was published in 2005 in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, a team of researchers from the US Department of Veterans Affairs examined the connection between low testosterone levels and future depression risks in more than 700 men who were at least 50 years old. The report concluded that men aged below 50 years with low testosterone level were more likely to become depressed than men within the same age but have optimum level of testosterone hormone. The finding from this study is enough to tell prove the link between low testosterone levels to depression.

However this is not the only study that has established the connection between testosterone and depression. Another study that was published in 2003 in the American Journal of Psychiatry also examined the connection between these two phenomena. The research done by Harvard University worked with 56 men who had developed major anxiety and depression but had failed to respond to antidepressant treatments. The researchers found that 40 percent of the men had low testosterone levels.

How to treat depression caused by low testosterone levels

There might other ways of treating depression induced by low testosterone levels but the most common and effective method that has been used is to supplement the levels of testosterone. This is majorly done through the testosterone replacement therapy.

Testosterone replacement therapy is one of the most common solutions to depression induced by low testosterone levels. It only makes sense that when a person has low levels of testosterone then he ought to have the levels of testosterone in his body supplemented so that the normal levels can be restored.

Testosterone replacement therapy involves supplementation of testosterone in the body. This can be done in form of injections, pellets, patches or gel in order to treat conditions in which the testes do not produce enough testosterone. It is also available in IV forms. Just like the estrogen replacement therapy in women, this ought to be done by an expert as the dosage is important for better results and to mitigate on the side effects. This therefore cannot be done without the help of an expert. This therapy has been found to be effective in fighting hypogonadism and all other major symptoms associated with low testosterone levels. It is also good as it improves energy levels, perfect body mass, sex functions and muscle strength among other benefits.

Low testosterone levelAfter testosterone replacement therapy most depression patients break free from the bonds of depression. Depression is major problems that men deal with today. The number of men held victims by these two conditions increase rapidly with low testosterone levels being a major contributor to these conditions.

It can therefore be concluded that going for testosterone replacement therapy can help an individual fight against depression and restore good health in men.

Finally

Dr. Dalal Akoury of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Center has dedicated her life to helping patients restore their lives by use of integrative medicine. She also holds many conferences in which she offers training on how integrative medicine can be used to fight addiction among other conditions. Call her on (843) 213-1480 for help.

Low Testosterone Levels Linked To Depression

 

 

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Could you be at risk for Prostate Cancer?

October 1, 2014

The Effect of Testosterone Level On Risk Of Prostate Cancer

Introduction

In this article, we shall examine the effect of testosterone level on the risk of prostate cancer. This has remained a subject of great controversy because of the divergent views that have been fronted. Basically the argument has been that using testosterone therapy on men who have been treated of prostate cancer in the past exposes them to the risk of developing the cancer afresh. The reason given for this has been that the therapy could reawaken sleeping cancer cells in the body of the patient, thus triggering a new and aggressive attack.

On the other end of the spectrum has been the argument that testosterone therapy is not necessarily associated with cancer recurrence. And there have been studies to support this. We shall look at both sets of arguments in detail.

Testosterone Therapy

This is a common form of therapy that is widely used to treat a number of complications in aging men. With the process of aging comes a sustained decline in the amount of testosterone in the body of men. A decline in the amount of testosterone in the body is associated with a number of problems. For instance, men at advanced ages usually experience decreased libido. This effect can be attributed to a complex interplay of hormones within the body which is triggered by a reduction in the amount of testosterone. In the same manner, symptoms such as general fatigue and even other forms of sexual dysfunction (apart from the low libido mentioned) have been treated by use of testosterone therapy.

Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is a common form of disease in men of advanced age. Although studies have indicated that the disease is able to affect men of even lower ages, it has been common for the disease to be associated with advanced age. The complex interaction between different factors in the body of men at advanced ages has been studies and the results have indicated that the risk of development of prostate cancer in men increases rapidly as they advance in age. So, with a decrease in the amount of testosterone, which automatically occurs with an increase in age, comes a rise in the risk for developing prostate cancer. Although this is true, it is worthwhile to mention that currently, studies are being conducted to determine whether the relationship is as a result of decline in testosterone levels in the prostate alone or the body as a whole.

Testosterone and Treatment of Prostate Cancer

For men who develop prostate cancer, the standard treatment procedure has been a radical reduction of the hormones in the body. This procedure has been used in many cases in which prostate cancer has developed and metastasized fully. However, studies have indicated that in some cases, prostate cancer is able to withstand such a treatment and recur in the future, if triggered by existence of the right conditions. The manner in which this occurs has been attributed to the ability of prostate cells to produce testosterone at a much higher level than before the hormone-reducing therapy was administered. What this means is that even if the amount of testosterone in the body of a patient is dramatically reduced by the procedure, the amount in the prostate remains the same, thus compensating for the loss. Therefore, when the right conditions are created, the cells that produce excess testosterone may develop into cancer cells.

Testosterone Therapy & Prostate Cancer

Standard procedure for tackling prostate cancer in men has been through surgery, chemotherapy and even immunotherapy. However, history and studies have indicated that when men who have been successfully treated of prostate cancer are exposed to testosterone therapy later in their lives, the possibility of the prostate cancer reoccurring is highly increased. If this is so, then testosterone therapy becomes dangerous for men who have been successfully treated of prostate cancer before.

However, there have been arguments to the contrary. Since a lot of studies have been conducted on this matter, we summarize the most important points here as follows.

First, although some studies have indicated that giving the therapy to men who have been successfully treated of prostate cancer exposes them to the risk of developing the disease afresh, the degree of risk remains minimal, at the best. Since the association has not been firmly established, the balance of probability has been that whether or not to administer the treatment to such patients depends on the judgment of the specialist. It is safe to say that the outcome of using testosterone therapy in men who have undergone successful treatment of prostate cancer cannot be predicted with certainty.

Second, there has been evidence to suggest that men with low levels of testosterone are at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer compared to those having normal testosterone levels. Therefore, if such men seek testosterone therapy in the future the risk of developing the cancer remains. This is so because testosterone therapy is not used as a prostate cancer treatment method.

Concluding remarks

AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center has been established as a leading center for cancer treatment. We offer our clients a wide range of services in relation to cancer diagnosis, treatment and general management. Feel free to contact Dr. Dalal Akoury, a leading specialist in alternative and complementary treatment of cancer, for an appointment.

The Effect of Testosterone Level on Risk Of Prostate Cancer

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Testosterone Therapy and Cancer Treatment

September 25, 2014

Testosterone Therapy and Breast Cancer

TestosteroneTestosterone therapy has been in use for treatment of women who have problems with their libido for a long time. Its use, however, has not been without controversy. On one hand has been the concern that using testosterone therapy to treat libido problems in women may actually expose them to the risk of developing breast cancer. On the other, there has been evidence to suggest that using the therapy on women actually helps them by preventing the possible development of breast cancer. In this article, the possible use of testosterone therapy to provide protection against the development of breast cancer is examined.

Use of testosterone therapy for decreased libido

Testosterone therapy has been a popular option for treating women having problems with their libido. Theoretically, there are several problems that may be the root cause of lack of libido in women. For instance, factors arising from the situation in which a woman operates may result to a decline in sexual desire. Highly stressful environments characterized by tension definitely lead to a decline in sexual libido in women. Besides, use of drugs, particularly antidepressant and drugs used to treat mental illnesses such as psychosis, has been strongly associated with low libido in women. Further, other normal body processes that occur after menopause have also been pointed out as possible causes of low libido in women. Menopause -related factors may be as a result of body processes that occur after natural menopause or those induced by surgical menopause.

Since it has been known that such cases low libido in women may actually have an underlying relationship to hormonal imbalances, the use of hormone – based therapies to handle them has been a common practice. In all these cases, testosterone therapy has been used to stimulate the libido of such women. This has been common in women who are past their menopause. In such cases, the therapy has proven effective in restoring the libido of such women, at least in the short term.

Concerns about use of testosterone therapy for decreased libido in women

There have been a number of concerns about the safety of using this therapy on women. Of particular concern has been the role that this therapy plays with regard to the onset and development of breast cancer among the women on whom it is used. Although there has been no strong scientific evidence to prove the case, the safety fears with regard to the use of the therapy have been that the therapy may pose a stimulatory effect on the breast cells which may lead to the development of cancer. The basis of this concern has been that the full effects of testosterone therapy on the physiology of the patients have not been well documented.

The possible way by which the therapy has been feared to lead to breast cancer development has been in two forms. First, there have been fears that testosterone therapy, like general androgens, may directly stimulate the androgen receptor in the breast of the patients, thus creating the right conditions for development of cancer. Secondly, it has been feared that the therapy may lead to production of estrogen within the breast tissue of the patient. This is said to possibly occur via activation of a complex enzyme process within the breast, thus predisposing a patient to breast cancer.

Use of testosterone therapy for decreased development of breast cancer

A lot of studies have been carried out to ascertain the veracity of the fears discussed before. In all these studies, results have indicated that use of testosterone therapy to treat libido problems in post-menopausal women does not expose them to the risk of developing breast cancer; quite the contrary. Strong evidence from several studies has indicated that use of testosterone therapy to treat such women may actually be responsible for providing protection against the development of breast cancer.

Contrary to popular belief that the therapy may trigger the onset of breast cancer either directly or via a complex process of enzyme activation, strong evidence has indicated that indeed, testosterone therapy does the opposite: inhibits the possible development of cancer cells within the breasts. What this means is that testosterone has been found to slow down the rate of growth of the cells found in the breasts thus reducing the possibility of the cells developing into cancerous ones. This mechanism offers inner protection to the breast against the possibility of the onset of cancer.

In a study conducted to determine the effectiveness of testosterone inhibiting the onset and development of cancer, it was found that the hormone is effective in blocking the onset and possible development of several different lines of breast cancer. Therefore, apart from blocking the possible development of cancer cells within the breast, testosterone has been found to limit the possibility of cancer cells developing and multiplying.

Conclusion

From the evidence of different studies presented here, three important conclusions can be drawn with regard to the use of testosterone therapy for treating low libido in post-menopausal women.

TestosteroneThe first one is that the therapy does not have an association with the onset and development of breast cancer. The second conclusion is that testosterone therapy actually provides internal protection to the breast because it prevents the possibility of cancer developing. The third one is that the therapy is useful in breast cancer management in that it has shown the ability to limit the spread of cancer cells within the breast.

Dr. Akoury has built AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina as a leading center for cancer care and treatment. Added to her training, expertise and dedication, the services that we offer at this place have made us one of the best. If you are experiencing low libido and are worried about the possible effects of hormone therapy, you may talk to us and we shall provide all the information required.

Testosterone Therapy and Breast Cancer

 

 

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