Long-term studies—those lasting one to three years or longer—show a different pattern. One of the reasons TRT research has mixed results is that studies often look at very different time frames. Below is a clear explanation of what doctors and researchers know today. Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) is often prescribed to help men with low testosterone feel better, gain energy, improve mood, and restore normal sexual function. McDevitt says she sees older men who live a healthy lifestyle in their fifties who have the testosterone levels of a man in his thirties. A combination of age, genetics, and pre-existing medical conditions determines your testosterone levels. Checking testosterone levels is as easy as having a blood test. Testosterone therapy may make sense for women who have low testosterone levels and symptoms that might be due to testosterone deficiency. Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox! No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician. However, the optimal amount of testosterone is far from clear. Men and women need the proper amount of testosterone to develop and function normally. In many cases, the benefits of these improvements outweigh mild shifts in cholesterol numbers. Men with metabolic syndrome often have low testosterone. The effect is strongest in men whose low testosterone was clearly contributing to insulin resistance. Low testosterone is strongly linked to insulin resistance. When a person becomes "insulin resistant," the body must produce more insulin to handle the same amount of sugar. As a result, small changes in cholesterol from TRT may not carry the same risk as they would in older adults. Because younger men are usually healthier, their blood vessels are less likely to have plaque buildup or stiffening. In these younger men, therapy often improves overall metabolic health. Newer, larger trials show no major rise in cardiovascular events, which should reassure patients and doctors. Subjects enrolled in these studies were followed over a long period of time and then divided into cases or controls, based on development of coronary events. An alternative approach, employed to examine the association between T levels over time and CVD, was a nested case–control study within the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging and the Multiple Risk Factors Intervention Trial . The authors also found higher vascular and all-cause mortality among men with low plasma T levels when compared with men without androgen deficiency. More recently, Malkin et al. reported a 24% prevalence of biochemical T deficiency (using either total or bioavailable T concentrations) among men with coronary disease. Some studies have shown neutral effects, while others show small improvements or small declines depending on the patient, the dose, and the form of treatment. Medical TRT uses doses that restore normal, healthy hormone levels. When plaque becomes thick or unstable, it can block blood flow or cause a clot, which raises the risk of a heart attack or stroke. Cholesterol plays a central role in heart disease, so even small changes can feel important to patients who want to protect their long-term health. Low testosterone can cause fatigue, reduced strength, low mood, and changes in body composition. have been undertaken on the relationship between more general aggressive behavior, and feelings, and testosterone. On the other hand, elevated testosterone in men may increase their generosity, primarily to attract a potential mate. Men who produce more testosterone are more likely to engage in extramarital sex.}