Low Testosterone Low T: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Testosterone Deficiency Guideline American Urological Association

The National Cancer Research Institute states that men with higher levels of testosterone in their blood are more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. TRT can cause fluctuations in testosterone levels, which can affect energy levels, libido, mood, and the presence of symptoms such as breast tenderness. If other conditions or medications cause testosterone levels to drop, doctors usually treat the underlying condition before recommending TRT. Testosterone plays a vital role in various bodily functions, including muscle and bone health, cognition, red blood cell and sperm formation, and sexual and reproductive function in males. The only accurate way to detect the condition is to have your doctor measure the amount of testosterone in your blood. Because testosterone levels fluctuate throughout the day, several measurements will need to be taken to detect a deficiency.

In the event these practices fail to raise a patient’s testosterone levels naturally, Dr. Muthigi says he then introduces the idea of external testosterone supplementation, or testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). While in some cases low T can be treated with lifestyle changes, testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) can be an effective treatment option when healthy habits aren’t enough. Dr. Muthigi discusses these treatment options, as well as the signs and symptoms of low T that he advises men shouldn’t ignore. As with every therapy, there are potential risks that can be mitigated.

Testosterone deficiency needs to be evaluated using reliable assays for the measurement of total and free testosterone levels. Patients should also be evaluated for conditions that are likely to respond to testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) as well as conditions that could be adversely impacted, such as prostate cancer, erythrocytosis, heart failure, or a hypercoagulable state. It is important to consider each patient’s burden of symptoms, individual preferences, and risk tolerance against the uncertainty of long-term benefits and risks, the burden and risks of monitoring, and the cost.

Sometimes in primary hypogonadism testosterone levels are within the normal range and gonadotropins are high. Your specialist will help you understand if you need treatment, even with normal testosterone levels. Androgen replacement therapy (ART), often referred to as testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), is a form of hormone therapy in which androgens, often testosterone, are supplemented or replaced. It typically involves the administration of testosterone through injections, skin creams, patches, gels, pills, or subcutaneous pellets. ART is often prescribed to counter the effects of male hypogonadism.

One area that I want to be clear about is that the Biote procedure is not FDA-approved. Pellet therapy is approved by the FDA; however, the FDA required Biote to settle on a specific dose for men. The Biote method is a personalized, individual dosing program that allows for the provider to specifically administer a dose for you as an individual patient.

To receive a definitive diagnosis, blood tests must show that a person has low testosterone levels, which the American Urological Association notes as being below 300 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dl). The individual must also have other symptoms, such as fatigue, breast growth, and sexual dysfunction. Of note, there is no consensus on the necessity and timing of repeated PSA testing and digital rectal examination for men on testosterone therapy. Although the Endocrine Society and a multidisciplinary Canadian panel recommend annual PSA and digital rectal examination screening in men 40 years and older,9,11 the U.S. Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is a widely used treatment for men with symptomatic hypogonadism.

Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) can help restore low testosterone levels in your body to normal, healthy ranges. Our team finds and optimizes treatments that fit your lifestyle so you feel your best testosterone stack cycle. We begin the path to feeling better with a testosterone test at your initial visit. If you have low levels, you will schedule a second visit, which includes bloodwork (via blood tests), a vitals check, a medical history, and a health questionnaire. It’s important to keep in mind that the goal of testosterone replacement therapy is simply to replace testosterone, not to boost it above average levels.

The Practice Guidelines Committee (PGC) of the AUA selected the committee chair. Membership of the Panel included specialists in urology, cardiology, family medicine, and psychology with specific expertise on this disorder. The mission of the Panel was to develop recommendations that are analysis-based or consensus-based, depending on Panel processes and available data, for optimal clinical practices in the treatment of muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Each member of the Panel provides an ongoing conflict of interest disclosure to the AUA. While these guidelines do not necessarily establish the standard of care, AUA seeks to recommend and to encourage compliance by practitioners with current best practices related to the condition being treated. As medical knowledge expands and technology advances, the guidelines will change. Today these evidence-based guidelines statements represent not absolute mandates but provisional proposals for treatment under the specific conditions described in each document.