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The makes it sound so seductive — more energy, a greater libido, improved muscle mass, stronger bones — all benefits of testosterone replacement, one of the latest crazes in men’s health. At the end, the message is that men with any symptoms of fatigue, low energy, or low sex drive can talk to their doctor and get it fixed with a simple prescription for testosterone.

In fact, so many men have done this that the market has exploded, sales for the past few years are up 90 percent and projected to be

But is it safe? Once men start replacement, is it lifelong? Are there any other ways to improve testosterone without taking drugs?

Studies have found with the issue of increased cardiovascular events, or heart attacks, when young men start using testosterone. There are no randomized prospective studies on the safety of using testosterone, giving some men replacement and others placebos. Therefore, true safety can’t be determined.

Most analyses are based on the retrospective review of small numbers of patients and have yielded inconclusive results at best.

The published an promoting the use of testosterone replacement, but it was authored by doctors who have a financial conflict of interest – the main author admitted to working for the pharmaceutical industry, owning stock in the company, and receiving paid speaking fees. In fine print at the end, of course.

Women used to be told to take hormones as well. This was routine practice until 2002 when the Women’s Health Initiative study came out, with a higher risk of breast cancer, endometrial cancer, blood clots, strokes, Alzheimer’s and more. Gynecologists quickly began to wean women off of hormones, which is considered to be one of the contributing factors to the seen today compared to the hormone usage days.

The most overlooked way to treat men who have symptoms of low testosterone is free, available to anyone, and harmless.

So where does that leave men?

First of all, hormone replacement should only be done in men who have had their testosterone measured and are found to have levels lower than expected for their age — and have symptoms from this. Not everyone with low testosterone needs to be treated. The range for free testosterone levels Ìýand it is not normal for a 65-year-old man to have the level of an 18-year-old, nor should it ever be a goal.

Once testosterone replacement is prescribed, it’s for life.ÌýIf a man suffers from true hypogonadism, the medical definition of a lack of testosterone, this condition is lifelong and replacement is not temporary. Men should be getting this prescription from a doctor that specializes in hormone replacement, a urologist, endocrinologist, or expert primary care doctor.

There should not be any other specialist providing this, especially not a gynecologist. Women’s hormone treatment is completely different than men’s.

What else can be done if men are having symptoms of low testosterone and are lured by the commercial to talk to their doctors about replacement?

First, find out if the symptoms could be due to something medically serious, like sleep apnea, heart disease and depression. All too often, when a simple solution is out there, doctors and their patients fall into the trap of missing an important diagnosis. Any of those conditions can cause fatigue, insomnia, a lack of libido.

Sure, testosterone might seem like an easy fix, but in the long run, missing a diagnosis of any of the above can be deadly.

The most overlooked way to treat men who have symptoms of low testosterone is free, available to anyone, and harmless. , improves overall fitness levels, reduces fat, and rebalances the estrogen and testosterone in the body.

including adding zinc, increasing vitamin D, weight loss, and stress reduction can also help. None of these are dangerous, and might help solve a host of other medical problems simultaneously.

So as men age and the normal consequences of getting older start to occur, there is no need to put millions of them on a lifelong replacement of testosterone to feel younger and more virile. It’s a trap!

Granted, some men with a diagnosis of testosterone deficiency and documented consequences of their condition may benefit, but the numbers of men that the pharmaceutical industry are trying to reach far outnumbers those that actually have a need for medication. It’s a modern day equivalent of .

Clinics that sign patients up to receive lifelong therapy without proper monitoring or testing are basically taking advantage of men who don’t know what testosterone replacement is actually for, and may not be aware of the risks. (And remember, there more be more risks we haven’t discovered yet.)

Taking medical advice from a commercial by a drug company is not a smart idea for any of us. That’s one thing that I agree people should talk to their doctor about.