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My Spanish tutor went to the doctor for a checkup. He said he was tired. Doctor gave him a blood test for thyroid and LDH. I suggested he also test for testosterone. LDH (Lactate Dehydrogenase) is a new test to me. Internet tells me it indicates muscle or tissue damage if the level is high. His...

From an article on the study: Risk was estimated using multivariable-adjusted Cox regression in 199,698 male UK Biobank participants. 2-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis of IGF-I and risk used genetic instruments identified from UK Biobank men and genetic outcome data from the...

It's an animal study, but probably relevant to men. It's best not to eat an unhealthy diet, but it's good to know that testosterone protects against heart artery damage. The abstract says: "To gain insights into the role of testosterone in the development of atherosclerosis and its related...

Here is the abstract: A total of 8 studies reported the effect of T on FSH and LH in 793 hypogonadal men: 2 used long-acting injectables (enanthate or undecanoate) in a total of 16 men, 5 used intermediate-acting daily topical gels or patches in a total of 471 men, and 1 used short-acting...

Fifty infertile men were given supplements to improve their condition. There was also a control group of fifty men. The supplements improved hormone levels, but not sperm counts. The abstract says: A total of 100 idiopathic infertile men aged 23-46 years were included in the study. Control...

The ancient medical techniques of fasting and breath control are finally getting the attention they deserve. Here is a paper on the physiological effects of breath control. Key points Slow breathing practices have gained popularity in the western world due to their claimed health benefits, yet...

From an online article: Researchers analyzed serum total testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin levels from a cohort of 208,677 men aged 40 to 69 years participating in the population-based, prospective cohort UK Biobank study from 2006 to 2010. Demographic and medication information...

The abstract is so clear that it's worth quoting the whole thing: An estimated 4‐6% of fitness center visitors uses anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS). Reliable data about adverse reactions of AAS are scarce. The HAARLEM study aimed to provide insight into the positive and negative effects of...

This is a news report on a presentation at the European and International Conference on Obesity. The research was funded by Bayer, who sells Nebido, the form of testosterone used in this study. The researchers collected data since 2004 of 471 men with functional hypogonadism, or low...

There was recently an article in the news about mice who were flown on the International Space Station who resisted the normal loss of muscle mass associated with weightlessness as a result of receiving a drug containing a new myostatin inhibitor. The mice not only resisted muscle loss, they...

Dr. Morgenthaler is a pioneer in the field of testosterone replacement therapy and was recently interviewed in a new journal, Androgens. I found this answer interesting. What are some of the common misconceptions about testosterone deficiency and testosterone therapy? Testosterone has really...

A study showed that more than 90% of ICU patients with covid-19 had undetectable Vitamin C levels: "Plasma vitamin C levels in a population of adult ICU patients COVID-19 who met ARDS criteria according to the Berlin definition were prospectively measured. None of the patients included...

The study found that testosterone increases muscle mass not by stimulating growth, but by slowing breakdown. The abstract says: "Here, we examined skeletal muscle biopsies obtained before and 24-h after the last dose of treatment with either testosterone gel (n = 12) or placebo (n = 13) for...

Post Office delivery times have gone into the toilet recently. I've had deliveries slip by over a week. Anyone else notice problems? And have you gone without medicine because of slow delivery?

It's good to know some doctors are considering this, but I don't think they will make much haedway against the popular prejudice against steroids. The abstract says: "ICU survivors frequently suffer significant, prolonged physical disability. ‘ICU Survivorship’, or addressing quality-of-life...

This is posted more for its amusement value rather than a serious suggestion for therapy. The IEEE Spectrum has posted an article on a new approach to treating COVID. It says: "One of the most persistent and deadly outcomes of extreme COVID disease involves the lungs of patients filling with...

This study result is unexpected. Glucosamine supplementation reduced all cause mortality by 15% in a large observational study. "This population-based prospective cohort study included 495 077 women and men (mean (SD) age, 56.6 (8.1) years) from the UK Biobank study. Participants were recruited...

This Japanese study found that 6 months of TRT improved chronic pain and other quality of life measures. The abstract says: "The present study investigated the efficacy of 6 months of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) on chronic pain syndrome in late-onset hypogonadal (LOH) men. Sixty...

The use of corticosteroids to treat covid-19 has been controversial. Some studies has shown it benefits patients and others have shown it worsens the disease. A new study says that C Reactive Protein levels indicate when corticosteroid use is beneficial. High levels indicate they will help...

The US is in the process of revising its dietary guidelines for 2020, something it does every five years. The US Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee has released its report (pdf file), part of the process before the guidelines are finalized. The executive summary includes the following...

Men with more comorbid conditions are more likely to report TRT has failed to help them. This implies taking other measures to improve your health along with TRT is more likely to produce a good outcome. Chief amon these are a healthy diet and exercise, but may also include other medical...

This is an animal study, but still very concerning. Another reason to avoid eating processed foods. Unfortunately, I only have access to the abstract, which leaves out some information I like to know. "In this experimental study, a total of 36 adult male mice were randomly divided into four...

A news article discusses a new study finding a link between idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and testosterone levels. The original study is also online: "The protective tips of chromosomes, called telomeres, are shorter in men with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) than age-matched peers, and...

Another study presented at the recent American Urological Association Conference found that over the time period studied mean testosterone levels fell by 25%. A news article explains: "From 1999 to 2016, testosterone levels have declined in adolescent and young adult men (AYA), according to...

This study finds little correlation between the two: "We evaluated the association of circulating levels of total and free testosterone, and of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), with the risk of cancers of the pancreas, kidney, and brain, and of total and free estradiol with the risk of...

A new placebo controlled study of the use of testosterone undecanoate to prevent type 2 diabetes in older obese men found it reduced the risk by 40%. The study was presented at the recent meeting of the American Diabetes Association, the abstract is online. There is also an article about the...

Cochrane Review has published a new meta-analysis on the relation between saturated fat in the diet and cardiovascular disease. Their results showed that reducing saturated fat reduced cardiovascular disease (CVD) events, but not morality. The abstract said: "We included 15 randomised...

Hereś an interesting study of how plant based diets affect testosterone levels. The epithet "soy boy" is used not just to describe men who consume soybean products, but also men who avoid meat. So how does a vegetarian or semi-vegetarian ("plant based") diet affect testosterone levels? Not at...

From Yahoo News: The U.S Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday it had found high levels of a possible cancer-causing impurity in some versions of the popular diabetes drug metformin. The agency is reaching out to companies whose drugs had N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) over accepted...

The Guardian is reporting a global shortage of estradiol. This affects both HRT and contraception. The focus of the article is on a current shortage in Australia and New Zealand. Perhaps disruption of the supply chain by covid-19, perhaps something else. "The affected products are distributed...

An asessment of the issue of hematocrit increase after testosterone therapy and whether current guidelines are justified. The abstract is online and the full paper can be downloaded from the link. The conclusion is: "Testosterone therapy (TTh) can effect an increased hematocrit via poorly...