Doctor says low testosterone may cause low energy, libido

A simple blood test may give men insight into how to thwart the tiredness, low sex drive and function and weight gain that often rears its ugly head around age 50.

"Low testosterone, or Low T, makes an impact on the health, vitality and lifestyles of men, much in the same way menopause affects women, "said Dr. Sonya Khan, an endocrinologist with CHRISTUS St. John Hospital, in a press release.

In the release, Khan said with a simple blood test a man can glean insight on how to treat his symptoms and give him a whole new look on life.

Eliminating other medical causes is important in the investigation of low testosterone - undetected diabetes or thyroid abnormalities can often give similar symptoms.

"We rule out heart disease and enlarged prostate, and we are able to move forward with therapies that can get men back on the road to feeling vigorous again," Khan said in the release. 

Decreased hormones may have once been accepted as normal aging, but with the average life expectancy now at 78 years, up from 69 years a half century ago, Low T may be getting in the way of living.

"Many of my patients who are 50-plus want to live a full, active life," Khan said in the release. "They want to do their triathlons. They want to remodel their homes. They want to have an active sex life."

Khan said the medical field has responded to those needs by developing hormone therapies that include easy-to-use patches, gels and injections.

Most men begin to experience a gradual decline in testosterone, but men who are feeling a decreased libido in their 20s, 30s or 40s may be facing bigger health issues than aging, the doctor said, noting that diabetes, depression, high blood pressure and coronary artery disease can be at the root of the problem.

Even so, Khan said more men should be talking to their doctors about Low T.

"If an older man feels excessively tired, he should be asking, 'Do I have low testosterone?'" Khan said in the release. "The awareness should be much broader than it is at this point."

For more information on low testosterone, or to reach Khan directly, visit www.christusprovidernetwork.org/SpecialtyClinic.

CHRISTUS St. John Hospital, a 178-bed facility, is a faith-based, Catholic health care facility located in Nassau Bay, which serves the Greater Southeast Houston Area.