HRT for men supposes the use of growth hormone and testosterone for replacement and performance-boosting purposes, which is for anti-aging. Let’s define what each type of hormone is and why their normal levels in the body are important at any age.
HGH Therapy
A lot of people turn to a substance called human growth hormone (HGH) in hopes that it will keep them feeling and looking youthful.
HGH is the growth hormone that men and women need for various physiological functions. Due to the fluctuations in HGH levels, men especially had to experience flaws in their performance and physical growth. HGH supplements for men are designed to work like Somatropin (natural growth hormone produced by the pituitary gland located in the brain).
HGH, produced by the pituitary gland, spurs growth in children and adolescents. It also helps to regulate body composition, body fluids, muscle and bone growth, sugar and fat metabolism, and possibly heart function.
Produced synthetically, HGH is the active ingredient in a number of prescription drugs and in other products available widely over the Web.
Why use HGH?
Synthetic human growth hormone was developed in 1985 and approved by the FDA for specific uses in children and adults. In children, HGH injections are approved for treating short stature of unknown causes as well as poor growth due to a number of medical causes, including:
- Turner’s syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects a child’s development;
- Prader-Willi syndrome, an uncommon genetic disorder causing poor muscle tone, low levels of sex hormones, and a constant feeling of hunger;
- chronic kidney disease;
- HGH deficiency or insufficiency;
- children born small for gestational age.
In adults, approved uses of HGH include:
- Short bowel syndrome, a condition in which nutrients are not properly absorbed due to severe intestinal disease or the surgical removal of a large portion of the small intestine;
- HGH deficiency due to rare pituitary tumors or their treatment;
- muscle-wasting disease associated with HIV/AIDS.
But the most common uses for HGH are for anti-aging and combined with other performance-enhancing drugs such as anabolic steroids in an attempt to build muscle and improve athletic performance.
Injectable HGH is available by prescription in Web pharmacies, anti-aging clinics, and websites.
Growth hormone for adults with growth hormone deficiency
Adults with growth hormone deficiency (which may result from problems with the pituitary gland or hypothalamus) may have symptoms including:
- poor bone density (which can lead to osteoporosis if untreated);
- reduced muscle mass;
- fatigue;
- depression;
- poor memory;
- increased body fat around the waist.
They can benefit from treatment with growth hormone injections, which can help:
- increase bone density, thereby preventing fractures;
- increase muscle mass;
- increase energy levels;
- increase the capacity for exercise;
- decrease body fat;
- reduce the risk of heart disease.
Testosterone Therapy
Testosterone replacement therapy can help older men deficient in the hormone reduce their risks of heart disease, diabetes, and death, according to new research presented at ENDO 08, the annual meeting of The Endocrine Society.
The goal of testosterone treatment is to keep the levels within the normal range. Low levels of testosterone are common with age occurring in about 18% of 70-year-olds.
Low levels of testosterone are associated with metabolic syndrome – a cluster of risk factors such as abnormal cholesterol and high blood pressure that boost the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes as well as other risks to health.
The studies have found that testosterone replacement therapy reduces the metabolic syndrome risk factors and does so in a similar way in all the age ranges studied.
Different Options of Testosterone Replacement
Injections: The TRT injection can cause swings in testosterone levels in some people which can lead to fluctuations in mood, sexual behavior, breast tenderness, and other symptoms.
You will need to have follow-up blood tests – make sure you have these on time, to check the dose is right for you. Before injecting, warm the medicine to body temperature to reduce pain at the injection site. It is important that the medication is injected slowly into a large muscle.
Patches: You should avoid showering, swimming, and sexual activity for 4 hours after putting on the patch. Skin irritation is common at the site of the patch.
Capsules: These are best taken with food.
Testosterone Replacement Therapy and Heart Disease Risks
A study looked at 95 men, aged 34 to 69, with low levels of testosterone.
All had metabolic syndrome. Those who have this diagnosis must have three of five risk factors: increased waist circumference, low “good” cholesterol or HDL, high triglycerides, elevated blood pressure, and elevated blood sugar.
Scientists have treated them for a year. Every three months, they measured cholesterol, waist circumference, and other parameters.
The testosterone replacement was given as a long-acting injection, every three months.
Testosterone Replacement Therapy: Test Results
Scientists saw a consistent improvement in the parameters of metabolic syndrome. The men were not given a special diet or exercise program.
The supplemental testosterone reduced total cholesterol, “bad” LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and body mass index while improving “good” HDL cholesterol.
The men lost their pot bellies. What scientists see after 12 months is a reduction in two or three trouser sizes, three or four inches off the waist. They see a reduction by one-fourth to one-third of their total cholesterol.
No adverse effects were reported.
While hormone replacement therapy for women has been found to be associated with increased risks of heart disease and other problems, doctors don’t foresee that will be the case with testosterone replacement.
There are fundamental differences between hormone replacement in women and testosterone treatment in men.
Another study divided the same 95 men into three groups, based on age: less than 57, 57 to 63, and older than 63.
They found the older men and the younger men had similar improvements in their risk factors.
Why Men Use Testosterone Therapy
Unusually high or low levels of testosterone can significantly affect a man’s physical and mental health. Men typically use testosterone drugs to address a medical issue — like Low T or erectile dysfunction— or to enhance their physical performance.
Older Man to Perform Better
Men use testosterone therapy to enhance their physical performance.
Treating Low T
Testosterone levels in men start to spike during puberty and drop on average by 1 percent every year after age 30. Lack of this key sex hormone in older men can cause health issues, including osteoporosis, loss of muscle mass and strength (sarcopenia), and psychological symptoms. Doctors prescribe testosterone drugs to treat these symptoms.
While declining testosterone levels tend to be part of normal aging in men, others experience the dip because of disorders of the testicles, pituitary gland, and brain that cause hypogonadism. Other factors — such as injury to the testicles, cancer treatments, chronic diseases, and stress — can also contribute to low testosterone production.
The FDA has approved testosterone as replacement therapy only for men who have low testosterone levels due to disorders that cause hypogonadism. However, the trusted source has said testosterone is being widely used to try to relieve symptoms in men who have low testosterone for no apparent reason other than aging.
Get in touch with us here for any additional concerns.