Against Testosterone Treatments for Older People

This cutting opinion piece is written in opposition to the prevalence of testosterone therapy, offered in many cases with the (dubious) promise of it being a way to push back the advance of aging. Hormone therapies in general are not to be taken lightly, but are widely used. Anyone should be free to try whatever they feel may work for them, but this approach may not be justified for most people given the balance of risk and benefit. That isn't a justification for restriction of personal freedom, but rather for greater efforts to educate in the face of overly enthusiastic marketing. It is not easy in the present environment for endocrinologists to avoid being drawn, however reluctantly, into testosterone misuse. Many endocrinologists are referred patients with a single, marginally low blood testosterone measurement seeking testosterone treatment for "hypogonadism". Under the misguidance of numerous extant guidelines or other manifestos, encourage excessive testosterone prescribing where there is any clinical doubt, which is almost always. They may fear that if they do not succumb to prescribing on demand, the patient will go doctor shopping and get the testosterone they think they need or demand elsewhere. These dilemmas are enlivened, if not enlightened, by concerted marketing and papers emanating from pharma, upscale single-issue men's health clinics, and academic enthusiasts. These rarely highlight the vested commercial interests, where present, promoting testoster...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs