Early warning analysis of male hormone health risks

[Core conclusions first] The health risks of male hormones (the core is serum total testosterone) are often narrowed down to "sexual function problems" by the public. In fact, male testosterone will naturally decline at a rate of 1%-2% per year after the age of 30. If combined with long-term staying up late, high-sugar and high-fat diet, chronic Due to factors such as sexual pressure and abdominal obesity, the decline rate will increase to 3%-6% per year, hormonal decline will occur 10-15 years in advance, and 72% of early abnormal signals will be misjudged as "fatigue" and "normal as you age", missing the golden window for non-drug intervention.

The 32-year-old Internet operator Xiao Chen I met in the clinic last week is a typical example. Last year, he stayed up late for three months working on a project. He got home at almost 2 o'clock every day. When he woke up, he was glued to the computer. He always felt that he was "tired, just rest for two days". It was not until recently that his seborrheic alopecia became more and more serious that he came to check. The result was that the total serum testosterone was only 11.2nmol/L, which is nearly 40% lower than the average level for men of the same age. It has reached the level where intervention is needed.

Speaking of which, we have to mention the current two academic standards for judging testosterone abnormalities, which have not been completely unified for so many years. One school is the "threshold theory", which means that as long as your test value is within the reference range of 9.9-27.8nmol/L marked on the test sheet, it is considered normal and no additional intervention is required. ； The other school is the "individual baseline theory", which advocates that you should not just look at the unified threshold, but compare it with your own peak level in your 20s. For example, when your testosterone was stable at around 24nmol/L in your early twenties, it dropped to 12nmol/L at the age of 35. Even if you are still stuck at the threshold, as long as you have symptoms such as fatigue, irritability, loss of sexual desire, and increased body fat, even if it is a "relative testosterone deficiency," you must adjust it in time. In my personal clinical experience, I prefer the latter. After all, everyone's physical foundation is different, and rigidly applying unified standards is not very objective.

It is precisely because the judgment standards are not completely unified that many people did not take the signal seriously in the early stages. Many people always think that the only sign of low testosterone is "that aspect is not good", which is really too narrow. If you have obviously not deliberately lost weight in the past three or four months, have lost muscle mass and increased your waistline. You used to be able to easily climb five floors without panting, but now you are exhausted after walking two floors. You are still drowsy after eight hours of sleep. You even have no interest in the football games you used to watch or the games you loved to play. Don't label yourself as "lazy" or "old" first. It is better to check the six sex hormones on an empty stomach. You don't have a lot of money and it is not troublesome. To be honest, I have met too many men under the age of 40 who have a general belly. They always feel that there is nothing wrong with them except being fat. When the testosterone is checked, they are almost at the bottom of the qualified line, and they don't take it seriously.

Don’t think that only fat people have problems. I picked up a 27-year-old fitness enthusiast last month. In order to control his body fat during amateur competitions, he ate only chicken breasts and boiled vegetables every day for three months. His body fat rate dropped to 8%. As a result, not only did his training status plummet, but he also developed erectile dysfunction. His testosterone was only 9.7nmol/L, which is a little lower than the passing line. There are also many young men who drink milk tea and carbonated drinks every day, and drink alcohol four or five times a week. There are also many young men whose testosterone levels are not up to standard in their early twenties. It is true that middle-aged and elderly people are not the only ones who need to worry about this.

As for whether to take supplements if you find your testosterone is low, there are currently two different voices. One school of thought believes that exogenous testosterone supplementation has quick effects, and you can clearly feel your condition improving after taking it for two weeks. ； The other group is worried that exogenous supplementation will inhibit the secretion of testosterone, which may lead to dependence on long-term use. They prefer to recommend lifestyle adjustments. My general advice to patients is to adjust their lives first: do strength training for about 45 minutes three times a week, don’t overdo long-term aerobics, control the body fat rate between 15% and 20%, not too high or too low, avoid high sugar and alcohol, sleep enough for 7 hours a day, stay up less late, and Generally, after 3 months of adjustment, 80% of people can recover their testosterone by 15%-20%. If the index still does not rise after adjustment, and the symptoms are not relieved, then consider using medication as directed by the doctor. Don’t just buy testosterone supplements from internet celebrities. Many of them have unknown ingredients, and eating them will damage the liver.

In fact, male hormones are not mysterious at all. Just like your car's engine oil, you don't have to wait until the red light comes on before adding it. Pay more attention to the small changes in your body. Don't insist on it, and don't think it's embarrassing to check it. After all, your body is your own. Only you know whether it's comfortable or not, right?