Low Testosterone (Low-T)

Low testosterone (low-T) facts

• Low testosterone is a term used by physicians to describe below normal levels of the hormone testosterone in individuals.
• Symptoms of low testosterone include erectile dysfunction in men as the most common symptom; there are many other symptoms that can occur in both men and women (for example, low sex drive, bone and muscle tissue loss, depression) while infants and children may not develop normal male sex organs or may not go through normal puberty.
• Causes of low-T are numerous; some are classified into primary, secondary or tertiary causes while others are due to underlying diseases or conditions and/or lifestyle factors.
• Medical care should be sought for symptoms of low-t; especially in infants and children.
• Low-T is presumptively diagnosed by clinical signs and symptoms; definitive diagnosis is usually done in adult males by a blood test that determines testosterone levels.
• Treatment in males is done by prescribing testosterone shots or testosterone that can be adsorbed topically through the skin or gums.
• The complications of low-T are many and include erectile dysfunction, depression, bone density loss, muscle loss, and many others.
• The outlook for patients with low-T may range from good to poor, depending on a individual's sex, age, and response to treatment.
• Low-T cannot be prevented in some individuals usually because of genetic or underlying diseases; however, in other individuals, low-T can be prevented or delayed by lifestyle changes and choices.

What is low testosterone (low-T)?

Low testosterone is a term used by doctors to describe an abnormal level of the hormone testosterone. When appropriately measured, low testosterone is considered to be below 300 ng/dl in male patients, although some doctors suggest the normal range is 270 – 1070 ng/dl. Other terms for low-T include hypogonadism (primary, secondary and tertiary, depending on the cause of low-T) and testosterone deficiency (TD).
Testosterone is a steroid hormone made in the testes of males and the ovaries of females and is largely responsible for formation and maintenance of male sex characteristics, including both the larger bone and muscle development seen in males. The testosterone levels in humans are regulated by hormones released from the brain; in males the hypothalamus and pituitary glands in the brain increase testosterone during puberty and male characteristics develop (for example, penile enlargement, facial hair, interest in sex).
Although the large majority of low testosterone problems centers on adult males, low-T is not confined to male adults. However, the definition and characterization of low-T in women, children, and infants are less clear than for adult men. Although low-T will be briefly be described in relation to women, children, and infants, either a pediatric endocrinologist or an endocrinologist would be the best source for information on these specialized conditions.
Testosterone production is part of the body's endocrine system.

Illustration of the Endocrine System