Testosterone

Main article: Human body

Testosterone production in the embryo

Main article: Pregnancy and childbirth

In utero, the Leidigian cells of the embryo produce testosterone and then "fall asleep" before reaching a boy of puberty when there is a need for sperm production.

Testosterone is synthesized in a woman's ovaries and converted into female hormones

Testosterone is a male sex hormone, without which it is impossible to create female sex hormones, that is, female sex hormones are obtained only by converting from male.

Testosterone is synthesized in the ovaries and adrenal glands and is extremely necessary for a woman. At the beginning of the cycle, under the influence of FSH, it begins to turn into estradiol. That is, if a woman did not have male sex hormones, then there would be no female ones.

Also, male sex hormones are responsible for your libido and temperament in general. In other words, male sex hormones are very important for a woman, but only in moderation.

Association with diseases

2022: Testosterone deficiency (hypogonadism)

The peak of testosterone production occurs during puberty, and after 30 years, its level is steadily decreasing. Testosterone deficiency (hypogonadism) in men is not only a matter of sexual health, but also a serious problem that has a negative impact on the course of many diseases and impairs the effectiveness of therapy. and also leads to a decrease in social activity and performance. According to 2011 data, almost one in three men aged 40-79 years have a deficiency of ^[1]

The prevalence of hypogonadism is directly related to age-related changes and comorbidities. Normal testosterone levels in a man are associated with high activity not only in the sexual sphere, but also in general behavior, so apathy often becomes the first signal of testosterone decline. Manifestations of deficiency also include erectile dysfunction, decreased libido (sex drive), mood change, and obesity. All these factors have a negative impact not only on the man himself, but also often affect his relationship with loved ones.

Testosterone level is influenced not only by age, but also by lifestyle, health status. So male hypogonadism is a frequent complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Incidence of hypogonadism in men with SD2 determination of the hormone level by tandem mass spectrometry (more accurate diagnosis) according to the data for 2022 was 69.5% ^[2]

"Many men ignore the symptoms of low testosterone and simply pass them off as signs of ageing without realising how important it is to eliminate them. In fact, this is a serious medical and social problem, which is paid an insufficient amount of attention in the information space. If previously low testosterone was most often associated only with older men, now we see that obesity and lack of physical activity lead to a decrease in testosterone levels in young men. Androgenic deficiency has a negative impact not only on the life of a particular patient and his relatives, but also on the demographic picture in Russia, "- commented in September 2022 Kogan Mikhail Iosifovich, Vice President of the Russian Society of Urologists, Head of the Department of Urology and Human Reproductive Health of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education" Rostov State Medical University "of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation.

2021: Low testosterone levels in men increase risk of contracting COVID-19 and developing severe forms

At the end of May 2021, scientists from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis published the results of a study according to which low testosterone levels in the blood are associated with a more severe course of COVID-19. The researchers urge caution from everyone involved in clinical trials of hormone therapy that blocks or lowers testosterone or boosts estrogen to treat men with COVID-19.

During the pandemic, the prevailing opinion was that high testosterone levels in patients are bad, - said the author of the study, Professor Abhinav Diwan. "But we found the opposite. If a man had low testosterone during hospitalization, the risk of severe COVID-19, that is, the likelihood of intensive care and the risk of death, he was much higher than men with high levels of circulating testosterone. And if testosterone levels dropped even lower during hospitalization, the risk increased.

Low testosterone in men increases the risk of contracting COVID-19 and developing severe forms of the disease

Among women, the researchers found no correlation between any hormone levels and disease severity. Among men, the level of only one hormone, testosterone, was associated with the severity of COVID-19, with low values ​ ​ below 250 ng/dL. Upon admission to the hospital in men with severe COVID-19, the average testosterone level was 53 ng/dL; men with less severe disease had a mean level of 151 ng/dL. By the third day of the disease, the average testosterone level in the most severely ill men was only 19 ng/dL.

The researchers noted that other factors known to increase the risk of severe COVID-19, including older age, obesity and diabetes, are also often accompanied by a decrease in testosterone levels. In addition, the researchers found that the body could adapt to less testosterone circulating in the bloodstream, increasing its ability to detect and use the hormone. Researchers have yet to examine the implications of this adaptation.^[3]

2020: Dangers of testosterone overdose - obesity

Main article: Obesity

Testosterone increases muscle mass and strength, contributes to a decrease in the total amount of subcutaneous fat and a decrease in fat mass in relation to muscle, but also as of 2020, it can increase fat deposits by male type (on the abdomen) and reduce fat deposits by female type (on the hips, buttocks, breasts).

Men often use hormonal drugs containing testosterone to gain muscle mass and strength. However, overdosing with such drugs can lead to hypersexuality, as well as permanent severe breast obesity - gynecomastia, or temporary mild obesity - lipomastia, or false obesity.

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