Testosterone Promotes Bone Health and Can Help Treat Osteoporosis

Testosterone Replacement Therapy provides a wide variety of benefits to aging men suffering from the effects of Andropause.

Many of these benefits are well-known, especially those related to body composition, mood, and sexual appetite. There are many obscure benefits to Low-T Treatment, one of which is improved Bone Mineral Density.

Dr. Robert Ashley has worked with patients suffering from Low-T and Osteoporosis for years.

He explains that research has shown that Bio-Identical Testosterone Therapy for Andropause improves not only sexual desire and libido while increasing energy and helping patients lose weight, but also has positive effects on bone health.

Should Men Worry About Osteoporosis?

It's widely known that women are at an elevated risk of Osteoporosis compared to men. This is because Testosterone has anabolic effects on the skeletal structure. Testosterone promotes bone recycling, which helps preserve bone mineral density.

Specifically, Testosterone encourages Osteoblast activity, which are cells designed to fortify bone with recycled minerals.

Just because women are at elevated risk for Osteopenia and Osteoporosis doesn't mean that men are safe, however.

Testosterone Deficiency causes an imbalance in the pattern of bone recycling, favoring Osteoclast activity. Osteoclasts are cells designed to break down bone tissue for recycling. Ideally, Osteoblasts and Osteoclasts work in harmony to preserve bone strength, but declining Testosterone Levels hurt that balance.

For younger patients with significantly Low Testosterone Levels, Testosterone Replacement Therapy has shown itself to be highly beneficial in bolstering and restoring bone mineral density. It should not be considered the sole avenue of treatment, but it does provide practical results as an additional treatment.

Testosterone Therapy and Bone Mineral Density in Aging Men

1996 Testosterone Injection Osteoporosis Study

In adults suffering from Andropause, there have been multiple studies involving the relationship between Prescription Testosterone Therapy and Bone Health.

One early study, published in 1996, with 36 patients, showed promise in the effectiveness of Low-T Treatment for aging men. Patients took Intramuscular Testosterone Injections for as long as eighteen months in this study. In the end, Bone Mineral Density increased 5%, and also provided significant benefits for overall body composition.

2004 Testosterone/Bone Mineral Density Study

In 2004, researchers conducted another Low-T Research Study, again utilizing Testosterone Injections for patients suffering from Clinical Testosterone Deficiency.

Another small study, researchers followed 48 patients for three years, half of which took bi-weekly injections of Testosterone, while the control group received a placebo. In this study, spinal cord density was shown to improve dramatically, by around 9%.

2017 AndroGel Low-T Treatment for Osteoporosis Study

One of the most recent studies regarding Bone Density and Low-T was published in 2017. In this study, participants averaged 72 years of age, and all were clinically diagnosed with Testosterone Deficiency.

Whereas patients took Testosterone Shots in the first study, in this study, they were treated with AndroGel, a highly effective form of Topical Testosterone. Results were pronounced in this study, especially about spinal bone density. Compared to the control group, the AndroGel Test Group experienced a 7.5% boost in spinal density, paired with a more modest increase in hip density.

What was interesting about this study was that both groups were treated with supplemental Vitamin D and Calcium. While this supplementation proved highly beneficial to the control group about Hip Bone Density, it provided only minor results for the spine.

It appears that bone tissue in the spine is more responsive to Testosterone than the hip bones.

Can Patients With Normal Testosterone Levels Benefit from Testosterone Replacement?

Mostly because of the nature of Medical Research, there has not been a significant amount of research regarding the benefits of Testosterone Treatments for patients with Testosterone Levels in the normal range.

What we do know is that Testosterone Supplementation does lead to increased Prostate-Specific Antigen Levels, and does cause the prostate to grow in size. There are no signs that increased PSA Levels caused by Testosterone Therapy are dangerous, but increased Prostate size can become problematic.

At least for now, Testosterone should only be used by patients with demonstrably low Testosterone Levels.

What are the Risks of Testosterone Therapy for Low-T?

For patients with Low-T, the risks appear to be minimal, but patients should be regularly examined for prostate health.

There is evidence that Bio-Identical Testosterone may contribute to increased risk of Heart Attack and Stroke. It's hypothesized that this risk is mostly the result of Testosterone Misuse and Abuse, or by physicians that inadequately tested Testosterone Levels before and during treatment.

When Testosterone Therapy is used to boost Testosterone Levels modestly into the normal range, these risks appear to be minimal and may be negligible. Further research is needed.

Are You Interested in Testosterone Replacement?

Our clinic firmly stands by its use of Bio-Identical Testosterone for Andropause and Low-T. We work with patients nationwide to provide quality HRT Services to men and women thirty and older.

If you feel that Testosterone Shots, Gels, or Patches may be the answer to your waning libido and energy levels, we proudly offer our services. Contact us today for a no-cost consultation with one of our Hormone Specialists. Testosterone Optimization is proven to burn fat, increase muscle mass, and strengthen bones!

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A concise review of testosterone and bone health

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