Male testosterone deficiency occurs when a man’s level of total or active testosterone becomes too low (deficient), or their body is unable to make effective use of the testosterone in the blood (testosterone resistant).
Testosterone is the key hormone in men. It is essential for to the development and maintenance of men’s sexual characteristics and function, including sex drive (libido). Normal testosterone levels help to maintain normal sex drive, as well as energy levels and healthy mood. It is also increasingly recognised as being very important to wider male health in a range of other areas, such as contributing to maintaining energy levels and healthy bones. A simple blood test can be done to make the diagnosis. Testosterone supplementation is available at our centre.
Testosterone is a steroid hormone from the androgen group and is found in mammals, reptiles, birds, and other vertebrates. In mammals, testosterone is secreted primarily by the testicles of males and the ovaries of females, although small amounts are also secreted by the adrenal glands. It is the principal male sexhormone and an anabolic steroid.
In men, testosterone plays a key role in the development of male reproductive tissues such as the testis and prostate as well as promoting secondary sexual characteristics such as increased muscle, bone mass, and the growth of body hair. In addition, testosterone is essential for health and well-being as well as the prevention of osteoporosis.
On average, in adult males, levels of testosterone are about 7–8 times as great as in adult females, but, as the metabolic consumption of testosterone in males is greater, the daily production is about 20 times greater in men. Females are also more sensitive to the hormone. Testosterone is observed in most vertebrates. Fish make a slightly different form called 11-ketotestosterone. Its counterpart in insects is ecdysone. These ubiquitous steroids suggest that sex hormones have an ancient evolutionary history.
