Private MD News

Low testosterone may cause a range of health problems

Category: Male Specific Tests

In recent years, low levels of testosterone have been connected to a range of diseases in men. The volume of these findings underscores the importance of making testosterone testing a regular part of medical care for men.

For example, a recent study from German researchers found that many of the men who are being treated for testicular germ-cell cancer have low levels of the hormone.

For the study, a team of researchers from the University Hospital of Munster gave testosterone tests to a group of 376 men before and after being treated for the disease. They found that more than 24 percent of the men treated for testicular germ-cell cancer had low levels of testosterone.

Testosterone deficiency persisted even after men were treated for the cancer, suggesting that the hormone deficiency may underlie the cancer risk.

In addition to testicular cancer, previous studies have connected low testosterone to an increased risk of heart disease and erectile dysfunction. Given the degree to which these conditions can affect a man's quality of life, testosterone testing and hormone treatment when appropriate may be critically important.