Medicosnext
“Why are men’s testosterone levels decreasing?” This was the stark headline in an online site in 2021. It was followed by the statement, “Testosterone levels are decreasing in men on a global scale. Whilst there are often lifestyle factors that impact both testosterone levels and sperm health, research shows that there is something much bigger at play.” The author went as far as to say that today’s men’s testosterone levels are half of what their grandfathers’ were.
Research shows that men’s testosterone levels have dropped at least 20% in the last 20 years. In 2002-04, 55-year-old men had an average testosterone level that was almost 100 points lower than 70-year-old men in 1987-1989. Currently, the average 22-year-old man has an average testosterone level equal to that of a 67-year-old man back in 2000. A 2017 study found that sperm counts in the West had plummeted by 59% between 1973 and 2011.
While age-related decline in hormone levels is natural (in men, testosterone concentrations begin to decline at an average of 1% to 2% per year from 40 years of age), evidence shows that the significant drops in testosterone levels over the years is more impacted by behavioral and health changes, especially obesity and medications. Decreasing testosterone levels can also be attributed to the environment and external toxins, known as hormone or endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC’s).
Besides having many biological effects, testosterone is essential for the development and maintenance of organs and physiological functions in males, in whom it is produced by Leydig cells in the testes. Abnormally low levels of testosterone may contribute to decreased muscle mass, lowered sex drive, erectile dysfunction, and mood changes. In females, it is an essential precursor to estrogen, and is produced in the ovaries and adrenal glands. The normal range for testosterone levels in males between 19 and 39 years, who are not obese, is 264–916 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL).
Resistance exercise like lifting weights can cause a temporary increase in testosterone level, and other exercises, especially cardiovascular exercises, can contribute to weight loss, thereby helping to increase testosterone levels. Foods rich in zinc and vitamin D could also help to keep testosterone at a normal level. Testosterone replacement therapy, which involves injections or medications in the form of pills, patches, and gel, is often prescribed by doctors for people with abnormally low levels of testosterone. Low testosterone (hypogonadism) occurs when testosterone levels fall below 300 nanograms/deciliter (ng/dL). Around 40% of men over 45 years and 50% of men in their 80s are considered to be hypogonadal.
