Testosterone replacement therapy

What is testosterone?

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Testosterone is a hormone produced primarily in the testicles. Testosterone helps maintain men's:

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• Bone density

• Fat distribution

• Muscle strength and mass

• Facial and body hair

• Red blood cell production

• Sex drive

• Sperm production

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What happens to testosterone levels with age?

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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).

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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.

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