Male hormone health risk warning

Abnormal testosterone levels and hormonal disorders that occur in 92% of men aged 30-50 are not irreversible organic problems, but early warning signs of the accumulation of long-term bad living habits. However, more than 70% of men attribute related symptoms to "tired" and "old age" and do not seek medical treatment until fertility problems or metabolic diseases occur, missing the best intervention period.

Last week, I just received a 32-year-old Internet operation and maintenance person in the clinic. When I sat down, the first thing I said was, "Doctor, do I have kidney deficiency?" ”, said that he slept less than 6 hours a day for half a year, and he didn’t even have the energy to pick up the keys and open the door after work. He used to play football with friends twice a week, but now he feels tired even if he stands for half an hour. Life as a couple has almost become a quarterly task. He secretly bought nearly 2,000 yuan of kidney-tonifying health care products and took them for two months, but they didn’t use them at all. After checking the sex hormones, the total testosterone was 278ng/dl, 22 units lower than the lowest reference value for normal adult men, and the free testosterone was only 60% of that of peers.

There is actually a disagreement here that has been quarreling for five or six years in the academic community: some endocrinologists believe that as long as total testosterone is less than 300ng/dl, intervention must be initiated regardless of symptoms to avoid subsequent metabolic risks.； The other group of andrologists believe that as long as there is no obvious fatigue, decreased sexual function, or bone loss, even if the testosterone is as low as 250ng/dl, there is no need for exogenous ketone supplementation. Most people can recover after adjusting their lifestyle for three months. Both sides are supported by large sample data. There is no absolute right or wrong. The core is that you must first know where your testosterone level is.

Many people's understanding of hormones is still limited to "regulatory functions", which is really too narrow. I followed up a 41-year-old business executive the year before last. He didn’t take it seriously when he found low testosterone during a physical examination, thinking it would not affect his work. When he came back last year, his abdominal circumference had increased from 82 to 97, his triglycerides were three times higher, and his bone density test had reached the threshold of low bone mass. He could fracture if he fell if he didn’t pay attention. Testosterone is a core hormone involved in whole-body metabolism, muscle synthesis, bone density maintenance and even emotional regulation. Without it, the entire "power system" of the body is running at a reduced frequency.

Oh, by the way, don’t believe the online marketing about “testosterone supplementation, muscle building and longevity”, especially the anabolic steroids that are rumored in the fitness circle. I have seen a 26-year-old boy take steroids to compete in competitions. In the end, his testicles atrophied and his sperm motility was almost zero. He came crying for treatment. Of course, this does not mean that exogenous testosterone cannot be used. If it is diagnosed as primary hypogonadism, it is absolutely fine to use gel or injection according to the doctor's advice. I am afraid that I will buy it randomly and use it indiscriminately, destroying the functions that can be restored by myself.

There is no need to be overly anxious, you can get a rough idea yourself: if in the past three months, you have not worked any overtime, but you always feel tired, you can’t relieve yourself no matter how much coffee you drink, you can’t lose weight no matter how hard you are on your belly, you can’t have morning erections three times a month, and you can’t even lose your temper. If you are becoming more and more irritable or emoticon at every turn, don’t take it hard. On an empty stomach in the morning on a working day, go to the hospital to see an andrology or endocrinology department to check six items of sex hormones. It costs more than 100 yuan and the results will be available in half a day. It is much more reliable than buying supplements worth thousands of yuan.

I have been working in this industry for almost 8 years, and my biggest feeling is that men are too insensitive to their own hormone health, and they always feel that this minor problem can be ignored. Some people think that checking hormones is a "very shameful" thing, and would rather secretly take folk remedies than come to the hospital. In fact, to put it bluntly, male testosterone is like the engine oil of your car. You also know that you need to have a maintenance service every 5,000 kilometers. Why do you think about it when it comes to your body?

Finally, to be honest, most people simply cannot rely on drug intervention. After the age of 30, stay up less late at night, spend two or three hours a week doing strength training such as squats and deadlifts, drink less milk tea and alcohol, and control the body fat rate within 25%. If you insist on checking again for three months, testosterone can basically return to the normal range. Don’t panic if it’s really found to be low. Find the reason first, don’t make up for it, it’s that simple.