Low Libido

Low libido or loss of sexual desire can be linked to low Testosterone levels. Although a lot of men avoid the topic, many relationships and marriages can suffer or are destroyed from an absence of sexual contact which can create anxiety and heartbreak.

Testosterone is the primary androgenic/anabolic hormone in the body of men and women. As men age past year 35, hormonal changes occur that perceptibly inhibit physical, sexual, and cognitive function. The average male in his 40's has only 33% to 50% of the level of androgen (testosterone) he has in his twenties. This decline in testosterone plays an important role in a series of signs and symptoms that accompany the aging process, such as a decline in virility, libido, sexual activity, muscle mass, strength and bone mass (osteoporosis) as well as an increase in abdominal fat mass. A decrease in the feeling of general well-being sometimes manifests as depression, a common psychological complication of hormonal imbalance.

If doctors checked their male patient's blood levels for oestrogen and testosterone (instead of prescribing drugs to treat symptoms), they might be surprised to learn that adjusting hormone levels to fit the profile of a healthy 21-year-old could eliminate many problems.

The most significant hormone imbalance in aging men is a decrease in free testosterone while oestrogen levels remain the same or precipitously increase. Through a variety of mechanisms, as men grow older, they suffer from the dual effects of having too little testosterone and excess oestrogen. The result is a testosterone/oestrogen imbalance that directly causes many of the debilitating health problems associated with normal aging.

Testosterone production begins in the brain. When the hypothalamus detects a deficiency of testosterone in the blood, it secretes a hormone called gonadotrophin-releasing hormone to the pituitary gland. This prompts the pituitary to secrete luteinizing hormone (LH) which then prompts the Leydig cells in the testes to produce testosterone.

In some men, the testes lose their ability to produce testosterone, no matter how much LH is being produced. This type of testosterone deficiency is diagnosed when blood tests show high levels of LH and low levels of testosterone. In other words, the pituitary gland is telling the testes (by secreting LH) to produce testosterone, but the testes have lost their functional ability, so the pituitary gland vainly continues to secrete LH because there is not enough testosterone in the blood to provide a feedback mechanism that would tell the pituitary to shut down. In other cases, the hypothalamus or pituitary gland fail to produce sufficient amounts of LH, thus preventing a healthy pair of testes from secreting testosterone. Blood testing can determine if sufficient amounts of LH are being secreted by the pituitary gland and help determine the proper therapeutic approach.

If serum (blood) testosterone levels are very low, it is important to diagnose the cause, but no matter what the underlying problem, therapies exist today to safely restore testosterone to youthful levels in any man (who does not already have prostate cancer).



Testosterone is much more than a sex hormone. There are testosterone receptor sites in cells throughout the body, most notably in the brain and heart. Youthful protein synthesis for maintaining muscle mass and bone formation requires testosterone. Testosterone improves oxygen uptake throughout the body, helps control blood sugar, regulate cholesterol, and maintain immune surveillance.

The body requires testosterone to maintain youthful cardiac output and neurological function. Testosterone is a critical hormone in the maintenance of healthy bone density, muscle mass and red blood cell production. Of concern to psychiatrists are studies showing that men suffering from depression have lower levels of testosterone than control subjects. For some men, elevating free testosterone levels could prove to be an effective anti-depressant therapy. There is a basis for free testosterone levels being measured in men suffering from depression and replacement therapy initiated if free testosterone levels are low normal or below normal.

Some of the beneficial effects of Testosterone are:

Excellent anabolic qualities and the resulting lean tissue augmentation

Increase in muscle size and strength gains

Increased muscle glycogen synthesis

Increased athletic performance and endurance

Increase fat mobilisation and decrease fat synthesis

Promotes red blood cell count for improved oxygen / nutrient transport and vascularity

Increased bone density, formation, and mineral use

Increased creatine phosphate (CP) synthesis and storage

Enhanced recovery and regenerative qualities

Improved cortisol control and protein sparing qualities

Androgenically induced brain function / training intensity

Improved immune function / protection against auto immune

Increased metabolic rate

Increased HDL/decreased LDL and total cholesterol

Significant increase in libido & performance

Improved self-confidence, energy, memory and sense of well being

Patients on testosterone replacement therapy should be monitored to ensure that testosterone levels are within normal ranges. The physician prescribing testosterone replacement should evaluate any changes in the clinical symptoms and signs of testosterone deficiency. Goal serum levels are in the range of 700 mg/ml to 1000 mg/ml. Levels that fall outside these ranges may require adjustment of the dose or frequency.