Men's Health Forum: This is a discussion on Low libido may not be due to low testosterone (CNN article) within the Anabolic Steroids forums, part of the extensive steroid information at MESO-Rx; NEW YORK (Reuters) -- While there's a statistical link between men's sex drive and their testosterone levels, in practice there's ...
Low libido may not be due to low testosterone (CNN article)
NEW YORK (Reuters) -- While there's a statistical link between men's sex drive and their testosterone levels, in practice there's little meaningful difference in testosterone levels between men with low libido and those with high libido, researchers report.
Dr. Thomas G. Travison, from the New England Research Institutes in Watertown, Massachusetts, and his associates evaluated data from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study, and report their findings in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
Between 1987 and 1989, a total of 1,632 men ages 40 to 70 years were enrolled in the study. They were assessed at the outset and two more times approximately 9 and 15 years later, when 922 and 623 men, respectively, were available.
At each time point, the men completed a self-administered questionnaire asking about the frequency of sexual desire and of sexual thoughts and fantasies, and their hormone levels were measured.
Men with scores of less than 7 points out of a total 14 were classified as having a low libido, which included 19 percent of men at the start of the study, 23 percent after 9 years, and 28 percent at 15 years.
Travison's team reports that, overall, libido was significantly associated with testosterone levels. However, the difference in testosterone levels between participants with low libido and those with high libido was small and "inconsequential."
Looked at the other way, a low libido did not mean a man was particularly likely to have low levels of testosterone.
Therefore, the researchers conclude that if a man complains of reduced libido, it cannot always be interpreted as a sign of testosterone deficiency.
Copyright 2006 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Re: Low libido may not be due to low testosterone (CNN article)
Could it be more of the same down grading low t. We all know libido has a lot to do with a lot more this T levels. Stress, old age, low Cortisol, diet, weight, meds hell I could be here a long time. Lately there has been a lot in the meda about Low T and it is not good news there pushing so what is it there trying to prove. That men on TRT is not good.
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Re: Low libido may not be due to low testosterone (CNN article)
You can make the numbers show anything you want. Low T is directly correlated with low libido. Now, other things have to be there but you can't tell me taking away T will not affect the libido. Didn't they castrate the male servants in ancient times to keep them from poking all kings concubine?
Re: Low libido may not be due to low testosterone (CNN article)
There are so many flaws with that study its nothing more than a joke. Did they look only at total T? What about Free T? what about E2? What about prolactin? The suggestion that T levels have nothing to do with libido is nothing but ludicrous. I think my old urologist must have had something to do with this study, lol. What a bunch of nonsense.
Re: Low libido may not be due to low testosterone (CNN article)
Does this mean that doctors will now start to pay more attention to thyroid and adrenal function? Nah, too simple, efficient and cost effective. Last time I checked Armour and Cortef were very cheap medications. Conspicuously absent from this study were the other tests that a thinking doctor would run. Also how much difference between each man's T level? I agree, this is more propaganda to discourage HRT. BTW, the reason why I demanded a workup for hypogonadism and treatment for the same had nothing to do with my libido. At one point, I was becoming so weakened and physically depleted that sex was the last thing on my mind. I was more worried about how I was going to make it out of bed and through each day. Whoever conducted this study deserves to be castrated. It pisses me off to no end that someone who should know better trivializes the importance of testosterone for a man's health by simply associating it with sex.
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All male doctors need to be on a one year cycle of Proscar and Androcur. Maybe then, a hypogonadal man would be treated with the same care given to other patients.
Re: Low libido may not be due to low testosterone (CNN article)
Quote:
Originally Posted by pcgizzmo
You can make the numbers show anything you want. Low T is directly correlated with low libido. Now, other things have to be there but you can't tell me taking away T will not affect the libido. Didn't they castrate the male servants in ancient times to keep them from poking all kings concubine?
Paul
Saying low testosterone wil cause lowered libido is not the same as saying low libido means low testosterone.
All they are saying is that just because libido is low, does not necessarily mean your testosterone is low. There are many factors that influence libido, and it would not surprise me if in the general population the more significant fatcors did not include testosterone levels.
I'd say stress would be up there as a main factor. Other social factors too.
Re: Low libido may not be due to low testosterone (CNN article)
Quote:
Originally Posted by farmerjohn
The suggestion that T levels have nothing to do with libido is nothing but ludicrous.
Where did they say that? The 'study' just suggests it is not the main single factor. Is says nothing about what would happen in a particular population if you systematically changes T levels without changing anything else.
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Re: Low libido may not be due to low testosterone (CNN article)
Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Skeptic
NEW YORK (Reuters) -- While there's a statistical link between men's sex drive and their testosterone levels, in practice there's little meaningful difference in testosterone levels between men with low libido and those with high libido, researchers report.
Dr. Thomas G. Travison, from the New England Research Institutes in Watertown, Massachusetts, and his associates evaluated data from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study, and report their findings in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
Between 1987 and 1989, a total of 1,632 men ages 40 to 70 years were enrolled in the study. They were assessed at the outset and two more times approximately 9 and 15 years later, when 922 and 623 men, respectively, were available.
At each time point, the men completed a self-administered questionnaire asking about the frequency of sexual desire and of sexual thoughts and fantasies, and their hormone levels were measured.
Men with scores of less than 7 points out of a total 14 were classified as having a low libido, which included 19 percent of men at the start of the study, 23 percent after 9 years, and 28 percent at 15 years.
Travison's team reports that, overall, libido was significantly associated with testosterone levels. However, the difference in testosterone levels between participants with low libido and those with high libido was small and "inconsequential."
Looked at the other way, a low libido did not mean a man was particularly likely to have low levels of testosterone.
Therefore, the researchers conclude that if a man complains of reduced libido, it cannot always be interpreted as a sign of testosterone deficiency.
Copyright 2006 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
A problem in scientific studies is that they tend to focus on only one factor. In a condition as complex as libido, where numerous factors are in play, incomplete answers are the outcome, which can easily lead to misinterpretations.
The conclusion of the study is that low libido cannot be intepreted solely as a sign of testosterone deficiency.
The misinterpretation that is easily made is that testosterone treatment should not be considered when one has low libido.
I wish the researchers had measured more factors than just testosterone so that they could have teased out the circumstances when low testosterone correlates with low libido out of the confounding factors that were most likely present (e.g. low thyroid, adrenal fatigue, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, diabetes, etc. etc.). These confounding factors undoubtedly masked any correlation there was between low testosterone and low libido.
If anything, the researches could have at least stated the possible confounding factors and weaknesses in their study - as good research generally does - rather than stand pat on a conclusion which can be so easily misinterpreted and sensationalized.
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Re: Low libido may not be due to low testosterone (CNN article)
That states my point exactly. First impression of this study suggests an anti-TRT agenda. My anger towards the researchers stems from their innocent or deliberate support of the anti-TRT agenda. Not to mention the omission of the other critical factors affecting libido.
__________________
All male doctors need to be on a one year cycle of Proscar and Androcur. Maybe then, a hypogonadal man would be treated with the same care given to other patients.
Low libido may not be due to low testosterone (CNN article) 
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