Fundamental sex hormone

Testosterone is indeed a fundamental sex hormone and plays an important role in puberty. But contrary to what some people believe, testosterone isn't exclusively a male hormone. Women develop little amounts of it in their bodies as well. In men, testosterone is produced in the testes, the reproductive glands that also construct sperm. Once it is produced, the hormone is regulated by the pituitary gland. As men age, their testes often make somewhat less testosterone than they did during adolescence and early adulthood, when production of this hormone peaks. But it is significant to keep in mind that the range of normal testosterone producing is vast. So while there are some declines in testosterone producing with age, most older men stay well within regular limits, and the likelihood that a man will ever involvement a important shut down of hormone production almost identical to a woman's menopause, is remote.

In fact, many of the changes that take position in older men often are incorrectly blamed on decreasing testosterone levels. Some men who have erectile hardship (impotence), for instance, may be tempted to blame this difficulty on lowered testosterone. However, in the vast majority of cases, erectile difficulties are due to circulatory problems, not low testosterone. Still, a small percentage of men may be helped by prescription testosterone supplements. These supplements often are prescribed to men whose bodies do not make enough of the hormone -- for example, men whose pituitary glands have been destroyed by infections or tumors, or whose testes have been damaged. For these few men who have abnormal testosterone deficiencies, supplements in the form of patches, injections, or topical gel may offer substantial profit. Supplements may help a man with low testosterone levels maintain powerful muscles and bones, and increase sex drive. However, what effects testosterone replacement may have in healthy older men without these extreme deficiencies will require more scrutiny.