Beginning at about age 20, the production of testosterone (the main male sex hormone) in men usually begins to decrease an average of 1 to 2% per year. The period in later in life when testosterone production has decreased enough to cause significant symptoms is sometimes described as male menopause or andropause. However, the gradual hormone decline in men differs greatly from what women experience in menopause, during which female hormones almost always decline rapidly over just a few years. The rate of testosterone decline varies greatly among men. Some men in their 70s have testosterone levels that match those of the average man in his 30s.

Whether young or old, men with low testosterone levels may develop certain characteristics associated with aging, including decreased libido, decreased muscle mass, increased abdominal fat, thin bones that easily fracture (osteoporosis), decreased energy level, slowed thinking, and a low blood count (anemia). Low testosterone levels also increase the risk of coronary artery disease. Many men with normal testosteroneSome Trade Names
ANDRODERM DELATESTRYL
levels are interested in taking testosterone to slow or reverse development of these characteristics. However, currently testosterone replacement therapy is recommended only for men with both symptoms of low testosterone and abnormally low blood levels of testosterone, a condition called hypogonadism.

Testosterone treatment may rarely have certain side effects, such as snoring, increase in symptoms of urinary tract blockage (usually caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia), mood changes, and breast enlargement. Testosterone sometimes causes the body to make too many red blood cells, posibly increasing the risk for various disorders, such as blood clots and strokes.

Currently, testosteroneSome Trade Names
ANDRODERM DELATESTRYL
treatment is thought to have no effect on the development or progression of prostate cancer. However, because evidence cannot absolutely rule out the possibility that testosterone therapy can cause prostate cancer to progress, men should talk with their doctors about this risk and men with prostate cancer are usually told not to take testosterone therapy.

Men taking testosterone need to be checked every few months for changes in their blood count and for prostate cancer. Such testing may detect cancers early, when they are more likely to be curable.