Testosterone replacement therapy
Testosterone replacement therapy
What is testosterone?
Testosterone is a hormone produced primarily in the testicles. Testosterone helps maintain men's:
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Bone density
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Fat distribution
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Muscle strength and mass
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Facial and body hair
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Red blood cell production
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Sex drive
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Sperm production
What happens to testosterone levels with age?
Testosterone levels generally peak during adolescence and early adulthood. As you get older, your testosterone level gradually declines — typically about 1 percent a year after age 30 or 40. It is important to determine in older men if a low testosterone level is simply due to the decline of normal aging or if it is due to a disease (hypogonadism).
Hypogonadism is a disease in which the body is unable to produce normal amounts of testosterone due to a problem with the testicles or with the pituitary gland that controls the testicles. Testosterone replacement therapy can improve the signs and symptoms of low testosterone in these men.

