Negative health effects of low testosterone concentrations in older adults

Abstract

The effects of testosterone include sex differentiation, muscle formation, increase in bone density, promotion of erythropoiesis, erectile function, etc. With aging, the concentration of testosterone in serum decreases at a rate of 0.4-2.6% per year. Hypotestosterone is a well-studied disease and the deficiency is defined as a clinical syndrome associated with increasing age and comorbidities. It is characterized by the level of testosterone in the blood and its correlation with other complicating conditions. Low testosterone is defined as < 350 ng/dL (12 nmol/L). The aim is to review the latest work on testosterone treatments, including their advantages and disadvantages, and to address important issues in testosterone therapy.

Keywords: Metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular risk, testosterone replacement therapy, blood testosterone concentration, obesity in the elderly