Testosterone decreases as you age. Research has shown that this can decrease your libido and reduce muscle mass.
However, new research suggests that low testosterone can also be linked with an increased risk of chronic disease.
The Data
Studies into the number of chronic diseases in older men show that the number is increasing compared to previous generations. This might not be surprising as more people are living into old age.
However, the study also shows that as obesity increase and levels of fitness drop in younger men they are experiencing lower T levels and an increased risk of chronic disease.
This is not new research; there are several previous studies that confirm T levels decrease with age. They also show an increase in obesity related chronic diseases in me with low levels of T.
But what has not been studied until now is what is considered normal levels of testosterone for different age ranges.
The Difference with This Study
While most studies have strict criteria to ensure only a certain group of people are monitored; this study did not.
It focused on much larger numbers to get an overview of the male population as it stands today.
The data for this study has come from the National Health & Nutrition Examination Survey. There were 2,399 men; all of which were over 20.
The majority of these men also had a complete file regarding their location, income and age. Information regarding chronic disease, T levels, grip strength and even cardio risk factors was collated for 2,161 of these men.
The study focused on the following diseases and how often they appeared in this group:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Arthritis
- Cardiovascular disease
- Stroke
- Pulmonary disease
- High Triglycerides
- Hypercholesterolemia
- Hypertension
- Clinical depression
The Findings
The most obvious fact that emerged from this study was that low testosterone levels are associated with multimorbidity; regardless of your age.
Taking this one stage further it was also discovered that the prevalence of disease was actually greater in both younger and older men.
There is a direct link between low testosterone and even moderate T levels to your risk of contracting a chronic disease.
This means that regardless of age you should be monitoring your T levels and taking action if you notice the symptoms of low testosterone.
Even if they appear to be within the current guidelines for acceptable levels you should be considering methods to boost T production.
Only those men with high T levels seemed to be at reduced risk of chronic diseases.
Your doctor will tell you that you have low T if you are below 300 ng/dl but you should consider increasing you T levels way before it reaches this stage.
Testosterone has always been considered the male hormone. This survey confirms the link between low T and the risk of chronic disease.
More research is obviously needed but in the meantime it won’t do any harm to boost your T levels. Check out the top 5 testosterone boosters to do this safely and effectively.
Resource
Testosterone Deficiency, Weakness, and Multimorbidity in Men, Scientific Reports (2018).
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