Looking for articles on why steroids are not bad

[Johnny_Utah79]

I had a post a few weeks ago that my girlfriend did not want be to Juice because she thinks it will kill me. I am try to get my facts together to show her that if taken correctly they can actually make you healthier. If anyone has any good links that could help me out I would appreciate it.

Thanks

[Polska]

Bro.. I hate to break it to you but AAS are bad for your health no matter which way you look at it.... the only thing that differs from a 'good bad' case and a 'bad' case are the degrees of short and/or long term damage(s) that you are administering while cycling.

These degrees will differ from person to person & from body to body, exactly in the same way some people can smoke tobacco and drink alcohol until they're 99 years old, and some people develope lung and/or other cancers before the age of 50.

Explain to your girl that you are doing plenty of research, following the right diet, taking the right counter measures (anti-e's, etc), and allowing ample time for recuperation/recovery (clomid, off periods, etc) ...

Just stress the 'good bad' case with her (it worked for my ex's lol).

[Andy]

No offense, to Polska.
Obviously I am not a vet that is why I am on here learning
I have done 3 cycles in my past.
I am training for med school.
I am into steroids.
I do not believe steroids to be harmful if used correctly from what I have learned. I do believe they are harmful when misused.
T-mag.com has some info on short term cycles called steroids for health.
Personally I dont agree with it all the way either as I think its possible to do 8 to 10 week cycles without killing yourself. Just depends on what ya do. Study up all you can ofcourse this is just my 2 cents. And ask some of the experienced people on here. I have learned a lot from them ---

[Polska]

While it is possible for the degrees of short and/or long-term side effects to be relatively nill... this does vary from person to person based on many characteristics pertaining to the actual person, the drugs, the dosages, etc, etc, etc.

Of course, everybody's opinion on this subject will vary.

Some people still claim that smoking cigarettes is harmless.

[Mastiff]

Here is a positive article:
http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/issue...l/1/index.html

Bob Clapp says his testicles are perfectly plump, thank you, and his wife of 44 years back in the kitchen is willing to attest that he is far from impotent.
I won't make him verify testicular health because above and below those testes ripple the most chiseled, menacing muscles I have ever seen on anyone over 50.

Bob Clapp is 66. The social security checks just started rolling in, and he's enjoying the senior-citizen discounts.

He doesn't need the Medicare. Doctors tell him he has the health of a 30-year-old.

I do ask if I may lop off his head, cryogenically freeze his body à la Ted Williams and put my head on his body when mine wears out in a couple years.

No knockout punch comes. Lucky for me, he doesn't have 'roid rage.

Indeed, in every mental and physical way, including a gorgeous mop of his own hair, Bob Clapp is the poster gramps for anabolic steroids.

Clapp has used and advocated anabolic steroid use for 40 years.

Part of that advocacy meant trafficking the stuff from Europe. In the early 1990s, Clapp was arrested for selling anabolic steroids as part of a massive steroid bust by local law enforcement. Clapp was released in 1997 after spending 22 months in federal prison.

Now Clapp, a retired high school English teacher and coach in the Scottsdale school district, is back in his advocacy role.

Government has no right to tell adults what they can or can't do with their own bodies, he argues, particularly when there is no scientific proof that what they do with their bodies is dangerous.

He calls his libertarian philosophy "bodily sovereignty."

And all this hand-wringing about steroids in baseball, he says, is nothing more than the hysteria of "puritanical Luddites."

If you want to ban steroids, he argues, you should ban all modern performance enhancers. If you want Barry Bonds on a level playing field with Babe Ruth, you should also put him on a level playing field with Rogers Hornsby or, let's be really fair, Abner Doubleday.

Hell, if you really want fair play, you should outlaw modern vitamins, modern weight rooms, modern fitness regimens, modern balls, modern ballparks and the modern habit of baseball players to abstain from booze, smokes and sex with prostitutes between innings.

"This argument about a level playing field or the purity of the game' is absurd," Clapp growls from behind his writing desk at his home in north Phoenix. "If you're going to start rolling technology back, where do you stop?"

You stop at anabolic steroids, we Luddites argue, because they're dangerous, and using them is an insidious form of cheating that forces non-cheaters to cheat so they can continue to play the game. Inevitably, it forces kids to blood-dope to keep up and fuels that oxymoronic modern American cultural phenomenon, Situational Ethics.

At its heart, though, the issue is not about ethics. It is about health.

And here, Bob Clapp, far beyond flaunting his own body, has a legitimate argument that the rage against the health impacts of 'roids on male athletes really may be unjustified hysteria.

"There is absolutely no proof that anabolic steroids have negative long-term health effects to adult males," he says.

He's right.

Charles E. Yesalis, professor of health and human development at Penn State University, is arguably the nation's foremost expert on, and critic of, anabolic steroids. He has written three books on the subject, including a new book he co-authored, Performance Enhancing Substances in Sports and Exercise.

"Amazingly," Yesalis told me, "there has been no credible study of the long-term health effects of anabolic steroid use."

Although they appear to cause problems for women, he says, any evidence of long-term damage for men is "purely anecdotal right now."

There are, however, several proven short-term effects, he says. He holds credence in studies showing short-term rise in aggressiveness and a profound decrease in the "good cholesterols" that keep humans from having heart attacks. Also, the liver seems to be hurt by pill forms of anabolic steroids.

However, all those short-term side effects seem to disappear once a man stops using anabolic steroids.

And most athletes only use steroids in short cycles and often suspend use once they step away from competition. Anabolic steroid users also can take a cocktail of growth hormones for a short time, bulk up, and quit and retain as much as 75 percent of the benefits.

Legal drugs such as tobacco and alcohol are proven to be far more dangerous than anabolic steroids, Yesalis says.

"You know, if my son came home and said, Dad, I'm either going to start smoking or I'm going to get on steroids,' I'd have to say I would hope he would choose steroids," he says.

As far as we know, if used in recommended doses for limited periods of time, anabolic steroids are safe. And they better be, Yesalis says, "because we've been using the same drug in medicine for 65 years with no problems."

"This may seem strange to you," he says, "but I can argue both sides of this issue with sincerity. It would be incorrect to say there is a final word on anabolic steroids."

Clapp says the only reason anabolic steroids are illegal, and banned from sports, is because they work.

Yesalis says that's absurd. Here is where Clapp and Yesalis head in opposite directions.

Body builders and other athletes are notorious for taking up to 100 times the doses deemed harmless by medical science, Yesalis says.

And athletes, like drug addicts, are notorious for saying they'll quit after short-term use.

And anecdotal evidence and smaller studies suggest that this much-needed long-term anabolic steroid study won't come to rosy conclusions.

"A lot of people mistake absence of evidence for evidence of absence," he says.

Yesalis also believes that anabolic steroids are just plain cheating. He believes the use of anabolic steroids in baseball has badly tainted the game.

"I look at these chemical cowboys in baseball and it makes me sick," he says. "In my mind, they can't carry the jockstrap of a guy like Mickey Mantle."

In my mind, the danger of a guy like Bob Clapp is that he might be the equivalent of those healthy 99-year-old chain smokers you read about. They're just stupid, lucky people.

But neither I nor any other journalist or anti-steroid advocate has any proof. And that is what drives Clapp crazy.

"I'm just stunned by how willing people are to write about something they clearly know nothing about," he says.

Clapp says he began using steroids in the late 1950s, back when it was the hidden secret of the emerging body-building underground.

He continued using as society became increasingly anti-steroid. Clapp was busted soon after the federal government moved anabolic steroids into the same legal classification as heroin.

Police got body builders to roll over on their supplier. Then police raided Clapp's house, put a gun to his head and hauled him to jail.

The funny thing, Clapp says, is that he knew some of the cops because they were steroid-using body builders whom he had trained.

While he says he recommends anabolic steroids to adult males, Clapp says he never once suggested steroids to non-family members under 18.

When asked if he started his own sons on anabolic steroids before age 18, he says no, because the bad science at the time of their youth suggested it might be harmful during puberty.

Science has since learned, he says, that anabolic steroid use during male puberty can give the male body a size, speed and power boost that won't disappear once the drug is no longer taken.

Clapp has three grandsons. Two play college football; the other plays fullback for Paradise Valley High School.

"So, did you recommend they take anabolic steroids?" I asked.

"Well," he says demurely, "let's just say that if I had some fictional grandsons, I might have another position than what I had with my fictional sons."

I should have been appalled at the comment, I suppose, but after listening to both Clapp and Yesalis long enough, I had begun to regret the day I turned down anabolic steroids in high school.

My friends who used them became much better athletes. And they remain stronger and healthier than I am today.

And while I still think anabolic steroids are a form of cheating in sports, they certainly aren't cheating for the millions of people who use them for therapeutic reasons.

Growth steroids may not even be cheating for the 98-pound weakling who might suffer less emotional or physical abuse if he were 10 pounds heavier.

The issue is gray, not black and white as most frame it, and without good science, it seems to be a risk/benefit analysis that should be left to the individual adult.

What isn't a gray area is that guys like Bob Clapp have been vilified and incarcerated over the last decade without being allowed a fair voice in the legitimate debate over the dangers and ethics of anabolic steroids.

That's just unethical journalism and bad policy-making.

Bob Clapp's position deserves to be heard.

And once he dies, I deserve Bob Clapp's body. That is, if he ever dies.




phoenixnewtimes.com | originally published: August 15, 2002
*****************

Also, look in the over 30 forum and read HRT Info, its in 3 parts since its so long. There are a lot of studies showing the health benefits of roid use.

[Polska]

Good article.

Even though it's nice to see positive journalism about this stuff for a change, I think advocating the use of Steroids to the general public could be a potentially dangerous move.

Why? Because the people who take these substances need so much knowledge about what they are taking and how to take it. This is the main reason we all frequent AR. By doing this we acquire more than they (people who don't know better) could ever read on the back of an FDA-approved container of, say, 1-AD.

Say some kid with a 120-pound frame reads the article about Mr. Bob Clapp and decides he wants to pack on weight w/ the use of steroids. They are, after all, the same as all the other 'performance enhancers' they sell in stores, right? You see my point.

[Polska]

In all fairness I just sent that article to my current g/f to read, as she's against me cycling too.

[Rickson]

I stole these from Ulter on AF. Most of this involves older men.

A Hormonal Attack on Aging

Controversy and The Life Extension Foundation have long been considered synonymous by both supporters and critics. In terms of complexity and instant effect, the protocol you are about to read surpasses any life extension program ever discussed in these pages.

The age-reversal premise we are espousing is the subject of three new books written by highly respected medical doctors. These books provide a persuasive compilation of research findings and clinical experience to document the safety and efficacy of using this approach to treat aging. The books fail, however, to lay out an aggressive therapeutic plan of action. In this protocol, The Foundation provides a novel step-by-step program to enable members to immediately take advantage of this new information.

In writing this protocol, the Life Extension Foundation reviewed several thousand published scientific studies to validate safety and anti-aging efficacy. We also received input from experts who have personally followed this system for several years.

Foundation members are getting impatient. They don't want to see their bodies ravaged by aging if a documented therapy is available that can control or reverse this devastating process. In this case, proven therapies exist and many are FDA-approved.

Implementing this protocol requires diligent medical testing, but the potential for significant age-reversal is compelling.

Male Hormones and Aging

As men age past year 40, hormonal changes occur that perceptibly inhibit physical, sexual, and cognitive function. The outward appearance of a typical middle-age male shows increased abdominal fat and shrinkage of muscle mass, a hallmark effect of hormone imbalance. A loss of feeling of well being, sometimes manifesting as depression, is a common psychological complication of hormone imbalance.(94-97,271 )

Until recently, these changes were attributed to "growing old," and men were expected to accept the fact that their body was entering into a long degenerative process that would someday result in death.

A remarkable amount of data has been compiled that indicates that many of the diseases that middle-aged men begin experiencing, including depression, abdominal weight gain, prostate and heart disease are directly related to hormone imbalances that are correctable with currently available drug and nutrient therapies. To the patient's detriment, conventional doctors are increasingly prescribing drugs to treat depression, elevated cholesterol, angina and a host of other diseases that may be caused by an underlying hormone imbalance.

If doctors checked their male patient's blood levels of estrogen, testosterone, thyroid, and DHEA (instead of prescribing drugs to treat symptoms), they might be surprised to learn that many problems could be eliminated by adjusting hormone levels to fit the profile of a healthy 21-year- old.

Few physicians know what hormone blood tests to order for men, nor do they have the experience to properly adjust hormones to reverse the degenerative changes that begin in mid-life. This protocol will provide the patient and physician with the information necessary to safely modulate hormone levels for the purpose of preventing and treating many of the common diseases associated with growing older.

Too Much Estrogen

The most significant hormone imbalance in aging men is a decrease in free testosterone while estrogen levels remain the same or precipitously increase. Through a variety of mechanisms, as men grow older, they suffer from the dual effects of having too little testosterone and excess estrogen. The result is a testosterone/estrogen imbalance that directly causes many of the debilitating health problems associated with normal aging. (1-12,28)

One cause of hormone imbalance in men is that their testosterone is increasingly converted to estrogen. One report showed that estrogen levels of the average 54-year-old man is higher than those of the average 59-year-old women. (1,5,13-18, 48)

The reason that testosterone replacement therapy by itself does not work for many men is that exogenously administered testosterone may convert (aromatize) into even more estrogen, thus potentially worsening the hormone imbalance problem in aging males, i.e., too much estrogen and not enough free testosterone. While there are studies showing that testosterone replacement therapy does not increase estrogen beyond normal reference ranges, we are going to show later how the standard laboratory reference ranges do not adequately address the issue of estrogen overload. (4,8,9,17,22-25,27,29-32)

Estrogen is a necessary hormone for men, but too much causes a wide range of health problems. The most dangerous acute effect of excess estrogen and too little testosterone is an increased risk of heart attack or stroke. (39-43, 261-270) High levels of estrogen have been implicated as a cause of benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) (35-44,46,47 ) and one mechanism by which nettle extract works is to block the binding of growth-stimulating estrogen to prostate cells .(42-44,48,49,50)

When there is too little testosterone present, estrogen attaches to testosterone cell receptor sites throughout the body and creates many problems in aging men. In youth, low amounts of estrogen are used to turn off the powerful cell-stimulating effects of testosterone. As estrogen levels increase with age, testosterone cell stimulation may be locked in the "off " position, thus reducing sexual arousal and sensation and causing the common loss of libido so common in aging men. (94,99,259)

High serum levels of estrogen also trick the brain into thinking that enough testosterone is being produced, thereby slowing down the natural production of testosterone. This happens when estrogen saturates testosterone receptors in the hypothalamus region of the brain. The saturated hypothalamus then stops sending out a hormone to the pituitary gland to stimulate secretion of luteinizing hormone, which the gonads require to produce testosterone. High estrogen can thus shut down the normal testicular production of testosterone. (1,54,271-276,277)

One further complication of excess estrogen is that it increases the body's production of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). (280) SHBG binds free testosterone in the blood and makes it unavailable to cell receptor sites. (51-52,55,56)

Based on the multiple deleterious effects of excess estrogen in men, aggressive actions should be taken to reduce estrogen to a safe range if a blood test reveals elevated levels. We will discuss the appropriate blood tests and steps that can be taken to lower estrogen levels later in this protocol.

The Critical Importance of Free Testosterone

Testosterone is much more than a sex hormone. There are testosterone receptor sites in cells throughout the body, most notably in the brain and heart. (60, 180) Youthful protein synthesis for maintaining muscle mass and bone formation requires testosterone. (59,61-74, 87-90,261-264,287) Testosterone improves oxygen uptake throughout the body, helps control blood sugar, (68,75-78-80) regulate cholesterol, (67,69,81) and maintain immune surveillance. (82,83) The body requires testosterone to maintain youthful cardiac output and neurological function. (58, 65 ) Testosterone is a critical hormone in the maintenance of healthy bone density, (59, 66,67,84-86 ) muscle mass, (65-67,87-90,287 ) and red blood cell production. (67,69,92,93,98)

Of critical concern to psychiatrists are studies showing that men suffering from depression have lower levels of testosterone than control subjects. (94-98 ) For some men, elevating free testosterone levels could prove to be an effective anti-depressant therapy. There is a basis for free testosterone levels being measured in men suffering from depression and replacement therapy initiated if free testosterone levels are low normal or below normal.

One of the most misunderstood hormones is testosterone. Body builders tarnished the reputation of testosterone by putting large amounts of synthetic testosterone drugs into their young bodies. Synthetic testosterone abuse can produce detrimental effects, but this has nothing to do with the benefits a man over age 40 can enjoy by properly restoring his natural testosterone to a youthful level.

Conventional doctors have not recommended testosterone replacement therapy because of an erroneous concern that testosterone causes prostate cancer. As we will later show, fear of prostate cancer is not a scientific reason to avoid testosterone modulation therapy.

Another concern skeptical doctors have about prescribing testosterone replacement therapy is that some poorly conducted studies showed it to be ineffective in the long-term treatment of aging. These studies indicate anti-aging benefits when testosterone is given, but the effects often wear off. What doctors fail to appreciate is that exogenously administered testosterone can convert to estrogen in the body. The higher estrogen levels may negate the benefits of the exogenously administered testosterone. The solution to the estrogen-overload problem is to block the conversion of testosterone to estrogen in the body. Numerous studies show that maintaining youthful levels of free testosterone can enable the aging man to restore strength, stamina, cognition, heart function, sexuality and their outlook on life, i.e., alleviate depression.(261-270)

Why Testosterone Levels Decline

Testosterone production begins in the brain. When the hypothalamus detects a deficiency of testosterone in the blood, it secretes a hormone called gonadotrophin-releasing hormone to the pituitary gland. This prompts the pituitary to secrete luteinizing hormone (LH) which then prompts the Leydig cells in the testes to produce testosterone.

In some men, the testes lose their ability to produce testosterone, no matter how much LH is being produced. This type of testosterone deficiency is diagnosed when blood tests show high levels of LH and low levels of testosterone. In other words, the pituitary gland is telling the testes (by secreting LH ) to produce testosterone, but the testes have lost their functional ability, so the pituitary gland vainly continues to secrete LH because there is not enough testosterone in the blood to provide a feedback mechanism that would tell the pituitary to shut down. In other cases, the hypothalamus or pituitary gland fail to produce sufficient amounts of LH, thus preventing a healthy pair of testes from secreting testosterone. Blood testing can determine if sufficient amounts of LH are being secreted by the pituitary gland and help determine the proper therapeutic approach.

If serum (blood) testosterone levels are very low, it is important to diagnose the cause, but no matter what the underlying problem, therapies exist today to safely restore testosterone to youthful levels in any man (who does not already have prostate cancer).

As indicated earlier in this article, a major problem aging men face is not low production of testosterone, but excessive conversion of testosterone to estrogen. Again, specific therapies will be discussed later about how to suppress excess estrogen and boost free testosterone back to youthful physiologic levels.

The Effects of Testosterone on Libido

Sexual stimulation and erection begin in the brain when neuronal testosterone-receptor sites are prompted to ignite a cascade of biochemical events that involve testosterone-receptor sites in the nerves, blood vessels, and muscles. Free testosterone promotes sexual desire and then facilitates performance, sensation, and the ultimate degree of fulfillment.

Without adequate levels of free testosterone, the quality of a man's sex life is impacted and the genitals atrophy. When free testosterone is restored, positive changes in structure and function of the sex organs can be expected. (It should be noted that sexual dysfunction can be caused by other factors unrelated to hormone balance such as arteriosclerotic blockage of the penile arteries.)

The genital/pelvic region is packed with testosterone receptors that are ultra-sensitive to free testosterone-induced sexual stimulation. Clinical studies using testosterone injections, creams, or patches have often failed to provide a long-lasting libido enhancing effect in aging men. (98) We now know why. The testosterone can be converted to estrogen. The estrogen is then taken up by testosterone receptor sites in cells throughout the body. When an estrogen molecule occupies a testosterone receptor site on a cell membrane, this blocks the ability of serum testosterone to induce a healthy hormonal signal. It does not matter how much serum free testosterone is available if excess estrogen is competing for the same cellular receptor sites.

Estrogen can also increase the production of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), which binds the active free testosterone into a non-active "bound testosterone". Bound testosterone is not able to be picked up by testosterone receptors on cell membranes. For testosterone to produce long-lasting libido enhancing effects, it must be kept in the "free" form (not bound to SHBG) in the bloodstream. It is also necessary to suppress excess estrogen as this hormone can compete for testosterone receptor sites in the sex-centers of the brain and the genitals.

Restoring youthful hormone balance can have a significant impact on male sexuality .(99-102)

Testosterone and the Heart

Normal aging results in the gradual weakening of the heart, even in the absence of significant coronary artery disease. If nothing else kills the elderly, at some point their heart just stops beating.

Testosterone is a muscle-building hormone and there are many testosterone-receptor sites in the heart. (57) The weakening of the heart muscle can sometimes be attributed to testosterone deficiency. (103-108) Testosterone is not only responsible for maintaining heart muscle protein synthesis, but it is a promoter of coronary artery dilation (109-113) and helps to maintain healthy cholesterol levels. (81,114)

There is an ever-increasing number of studies indicating an association between high testosterone and low cardiovascular disease rates in men. (81) In the majority of patients, symptoms and EKG measurements improve when low testosterone levels are corrected. One study showed that blood flow to the heart improved 68.8% in those receiving testosterone therapy. (9) In China, doctors are successfully treating angina with testosterone therapy. (9,115,116)

The following list represents the effects of low testosterone on cardiovascular disease:

Cholesterol, fibrinogen, triglycerides, and insulin levels increase (30-33)
Coronary artery elasticity diminishes
Blood pressure rises
Human growth hormone (HGH) declines (weakening heart muscle)
Abdominal fat increases (increasing heart attack risk)
Those with cardiovascular disease should have their blood tested for free testosterone and estrogen. Some men (with full cooperation from their physician) may be able to stop taking expensive drugs to stimulate cardiac output, lower cholesterol, and keep blood pressure under control if they correct a testosterone deficit and/or a testosterone/estrogen imbalance.

Despite numerous studies substantiating the beneficial effects of testosterone therapy in treating heart disease, conventional cardiologists continue to overlook the important role this hormone plays in keeping their cardiac patients alive. (9,30,31,77,93,111-113,115,116,261-270)

Testosterone and the Prostate Gland

Many doctors will tell you that testosterone causes prostate disease. The published scientific literature indicates otherwise.

As readers of Life Extension Magazine learned in late 1997, estrogen has been identified as a primary culprit in the development of BPH. (117-119) Estrogen has been shown to bind to SHBG in the prostate gland and cause the proliferation of epithelial cells in the prostate. (124, 182-184) This is corroborated by the fact that as men develop benign prostate enlargement, their levels of free testosterone are plummeting while their estrogen levels remain the same or are rising. As previously discussed, aging men tend to convert their testosterone into estrogen. The published evidence shows that serum levels of testosterone are not a risk factor for developing benign prostate disease. (8,36,41,117-137)

The major concern that has kept men from restoring their testosterone to youthful levels is fear of prostate cancer. The theory is that since most prostate cancer cell lines need testosterone to proliferate, it is better to not replace the testosterone that is lost with aging. The problem with this theory is that most men who contract prostate cancer have low levels of testosterone and the majority of published studies show that serum testosterone levels do not affect one's risk for contracting prostate cancer.

Since the perception is so strong that any augmentation of testosterone can increase the risk of prostate cancer, we did a MEDLINE search on all the published studies relating to serum testosterone and prostate cancer. The appendix at the end of this article provides quotations from the published literature as it relates to the issue of whether testosterone causes prostate disease. Out of 27 MEDLINE studies we found, five indicated that men with higher testosterone levels had a greater incidence of prostate cancer, whereas 21 studies showed that testosterone was not a risk factor. One study was considered neutral. The score was therefore:

21 studies indicating testosterone does not cause prostate cancer


versus

5 studies indicating testosterone causes prostate cancer

(and one study that did not produce significant results)

Before anyone starts a testosterone replacement program, they should have a serum PSA test and a digital rectal exam to rule out prostate cancer. Nothing is risk free. A small minority of men with low testosterone and prostate cancer will not have an elevated PSA or palpable lesion detectable by digital rectal exam. If these men use supplemental testosterone, they risk an acute flare up in their disease state. That is why PSA monitoring is so important every 30-45 days during the first 6 months of any type of testosterone augmentation therapy. If an underlying prostate cancer is detected because of testosterone therapy, it is usually treatable with non-surgical means.

Please remember that testosterone does not cause acute prostate cancer, but if you have existing prostate cancer and don't know it, testosterone administration will likely sharply boost PSA and provide your doctor with a quick diagnosis of prostate cancer (and an opportunity for very early treatment). We acknowledge that some aging men will not want to take this risk.

As stated above, the MEDLINE score was 21 to 5 against the theory that testosterone plays a role in the development of prostate cancer. None of these studies took into account the prostate cancer prevention effects of men who take lycopene, selenium, and vitamins A and E. (135-144) Nor did they factor in possible prostate disease preventives such as saw palmetto, nettle, soy, and pygeum. (42-44,145-170,172)

In Dr. Jonathan Wright's book, Maximize Your Vitality and Potency, a persuasive case is made that testosterone and DHEA actually protect against the development of both benign and malignant prostate disease. Dr. Wright also points out that natural therapies such as saw palmetto, nettle, and pygeum provide a considerable degree of protection against the alleged negative effects that higher levels of testosterone might have on the prostate gland.

We eagerly await the results of more studies, but the fear of developing prostate cancer in the future should not be a reason to deprive your body today of the life-saving and life-enhancing benefits of restoring a youthful balance.

Once a man has prostate cancer, testosterone therapy cannot be recommended because most prostate cancer cells use testosterone as a growth promoter. This regrettably denies prostate cancer patients the wonderful benefits of testosterone therapy. Men with severe BPH should cautiously approach testosterone replacement. It would be prudent for those with BPH who are taking testosterone replacement therapy to also use the drug Proscar (finasteride) to inhibit 5- alpha-reductase levels, thereby suppressing the formation of dihydrotestosterone (DHT). (171-182) DHT is ten times more potent than testosterone in promoting prostate growth, and suppressing DHT is a proven therapy in treating benign prostate enlargement. Saw palmetto extract suppresses some DHT in the prostate gland, but its effectiveness in alleviating symptoms of BPH probably has more to do with:

Its blocking of alpha-adrenergic receptor sites on the sphincter muscle surrounding the urethra. (This is how the drug Hytrin works.)
Its inhibition of estrogen binding to prostate cells (like nettle).
Its inhibition the enzyme 3-ketosteroid (that causes the binding of DHT to prostate cells).
Its anti-inflammatory effect on the prostate.
It is unfortunate that many people still think that restoring testosterone to youthful levels will increase the risk of prostate disease. This misconception has kept many men from availing themselves to this life-enhancing and life-saving hormone.

While it is clear that excess estrogen causes benign prostate enlargement, the evidence for excess estrogen's role in the development of prostate cancer is uncertain. (8,41,117-134,182-217,236) Some studies show elevated estrogen is associated with increased prostate cancer risk while other studies contradict this. For more information on testosterone, estrogen and the prostate gland, refer to the February 1999 issue of Life Extension Magazine. (182-217)



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Rickson]

Continued...

Testosterone and Depression

A consistent finding in the scientific literature is that testosterone replacement therapy produces an increased feeling of well being. As stated earlier, newly published studies show that low testosterone correlates with symptoms of depression and other psychological disorders.(94-97,272)

A common side-effect of prescription anti-depressant drugs is the suppression of libido. Those suffering with depression either accept this drug-induced reduction in quality of life, or get off the anti-depressant drugs so they can at least have a somewhat normal sex life. If more psychiatrists tested their patients blood for free testosterone and prescribed natural testosterone therapies to those with low free testosterone, the need for libido-suppressing anti-depressant drugs could be reduced or eliminated. As previously described, testosterone replacement often enhances libido which has the opposite effect of most prescription anti-depressants.

One study showed that patients with major depression experienced improvement that was equal to that achieved with standard antidepressant drugs. (97)

Androderm is one of several natural testosterone replacement therapies that can be prescribed by doctors. A 12- month clinical trial on this FDA-approved drug resulted in a statistically significant reduction in the depression score (6.9 before vs 3.9 after). Also noted were highly significant decreases in fatigue from 79% before the patch to only 10% after 12 months. (218)

According to Jonathan Wright, M.D., author of the book Maximize Your Vitality & Potency, the following effects have been reported in response to low testosterone levels:

Loss of ability to concentrate
Moodiness/emotionality
Touchiness/irritability
Great timidity
Feeling weak
Inner unrest
Loss of ability to concentrate
Memory failure
Reduced intellectual agility
Passive attitudes
General tiredness
Reduced interest in surroundings
Hypochondria
The above feelings can all be clinical symptoms of depression, and testosterone replacement therapy has been shown to alleviate these conditions. Testosterone thus has exciting therapeutic potential in the treatment of depression in men.

Testosterone and Aging

We know that many of the degenerative diseases of aging in men such as Type II diabetes, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease are related to a testosterone deficiency. We also know that common characteristics of middle-age and older age such as depression, abdominal fat deposition, muscle atrophy, low energy, and cognitive decline are also associated with less than optimal levels of free testosterone.(58,219)

A consistent pattern that deals with fundamental aging shows that low testosterone causes excess production of a dangerous hormone called cortisol. Some anti-aging experts call cortisol a "death hormone" because of the multiple degenerative effects it produces such as immune dysfunction, brain cell injury, arterial wall damage, etc.

A group of scientists conducted two double-blind studies where they administered supplemental testosterone to groups of aging men and observed the typical responses of lower levels of cholesterol, glucose and triglycerides, reductions in blood pressure, and decreased abdominal fat mass. These scientists then showed that excess cortisol suppressed testosterone and growth hormone production and that the administration of testosterone acted as a "shield" against the over-production of cortisol in the adrenal gland. (289)

It is important to point out that testosterone is an anabolic (or protein building) hormone while cortisol is a catabolic hormone that breaks down proteins in the body. Normal aging consists of a progressive decrease in free testosterone with a marked increase in cortisol. As men age past 40, cortisol begins to dominate, and the catabolic effects associated with growing older begin to dominate.

These findings have significant implications in the battle to maintain youthful hormone balance for the purpose of staving off normal aging and its associated degenerative diseases.

The Testosterone Doctor

Eugene Shippen, M.D., authored a book in 1998 called The Testosterone Syndrome. He was a speaker at the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine Conference held in December 1998 where he provided extensive evidence documenting the pathology of the testosterone deficiency syndrome in men. Here are some excerpts from Dr. Shippen's presentation that appeared in the March 1999 issue of Life Extension Magazine:

First, Testosterone is not just a "sex hormone." It should be seen as a "total body hormone," affecting every cell in the body. The changes seen in aging, such as the loss of lean body mass, the decline in energy, strength, and stamina, unexplained depression, and decrease in sexual sensation and performance, are all directly related to testosterone deficiency. Degenerative diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, and hypertension are all directly or indirectly linked to testosterone decline. (220-223) Secondly, testosterone functions also as a prohormone. (99) Local tissue conversion to estrogens, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), or other active metabolites plays an important part in cellular physiology.

Excess estrogen seems to be the culprit in prostate enlargement. Low testosterone levels are in fact associated with more aggressive prostate cancer. (201,205,224-229) While fear of prostate cancer keeps many men from testosterone replacement, it is in fact testosterone deficiency that leads to the pathology that favors the development of prostate cancer.

Testosterone improves cellular bioenergetics. It acts as a cellular energizer. Since testosterone increases the metabolic rate and aerobic metabolism, it also dramatically improves glucose metabolism and lowers insulin resistance. (76,80,230)

Another myth is that testosterone is bad for the heart. Actually, low testosterone correlates with heart disease more reliably than high cholesterol. (231) Testosterone is the most powerful cardiovascular protector for men. Testosterone strengthens the heart muscle; there are more testosterone receptors in the heart than in any other muscle. (232) Testosterone lowers LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol, (69,81,111) and improves every cardiac risk factor. It has been shown to improve or eliminate arrhythmia and angina. (9,106,113-115,233,266 ) A Testosterone replacement is the most underutilized important treatment for heart disease.

Testosterone shines as a blood thinner, preventing blood clots. 32 Testosterone also helps prevent colon cancer. (235-236)

Previous research on testosterone used the wrong form of replacement. Injections result in initial excess of testosterone, with excess conversion to estrogens. Likewise, total testosterone is often measured instead of free testosterone, the bioavailable form. Some studies do not last long enough to show improvement. For instance, it may take six months to a year before the genital tissue fully recovers from atrophy caused by testosterone deficiency, and potency is restored.

Physicians urgently need to be educated about the benefits of testosterone and the delicate balance between androgens (testosterone) and estrogens. Each individual has his or her own pattern of hormone balance; this indicates that hormone replacement should be individualized and carefully monitored.

Dr. Shippen's book, The Testosterone Syndrome retails for $21.95. Foundation members can purchase it for $15.00 by calling 1-800-544-4440. The book provides a persuasive argument in favor of hormone modulation in the aged male, and contains many interesting case histories. Dr. Wright's and Dr. Ullis's books on this subject are also available.

Obesity and Hormone Imbalance

A consistent finding in the scientific literature is that obese men have low testosterone and very high estrogen levels. Central or visceral obesity (pot belly) is recognized as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes. New findings have shed light on subtle hormone imbalances in obese men that are of borderline character and often fall within the normal laboratory reference range. Boosting testosterone levels seems to decrease the abdominal fat mass, reverse glucose intolerance, as well as lipoprotein abnormalities in the serum. Further analysis has also disclosed a regulatory role for testosterone in counteracting visceral fat accumulation. Longitudinal epidemiological data demonstrate that relatively low testosterone levels are a risk factor for development of visceral obesity. (7,237)

One study showed that serum estrone and estradiol was twofold elevated in one group of morbidly obese men. Remember, fat cells synthesize the aromatase enzyme, and this causes male hormones to convert to estrogens .(278) Fat tissues, especially in the abdomen, have been shown to literally "aromatize" testosterone and its precursor hormones into potent estrogens. (80,237-242)

Eating high-fat foods may reduce free testosterone levels according to one study that measured serum levels of sex steroid hormones after ingestion of different types of food. High protein or carbohydrate meals had no effect on serum hormone levels, but a fat-containing meal reduced free testosterone levels for 4 hours. (243)

So obese men suffer from testosterone deficiency caused by excess aromatase enzyme being produced in fat cells and also from the fat they consume in their diet. (240) The resulting hormone imbalance (too much estrogen and not enough free testosterone) in obese men partially explains why so many are impotent, and suffer from a wrath of premature degenerative diseases.(45)


Factors Causing the Estrogen-Testosterone Imbalance in Men

If your blood tests reveal high estrogen and low testosterone, here are the common factors involved:

Excess "Aromatase" Enzyme - As men age, they produce larger quantities of an enzyme called aromatase. The aromatase enzyme converts testosterone into estrogen in the body. (17,240,241,244,245) Inhibiting the aromatase enzyme results in a significant decline in estrogen levels while often boosting free testosterone to youthful levels. (279) Therefore, an agent designated as an "aromatase inhibitor" may be of special value to aging men who have excess estrogen.

Liver Enzymatic Activity- A healthy liver eliminates surplus estrogen and sex hormone-binding globulin. Aging, alcohol, and certain drugs impair liver function, and can be a major cause of hormone imbalance in aging men. Heavy alcohol intake increases estrogen in men and women. (54,246, 285)

Obesity- Fat cells create aromatase enzyme, especially abdominal fat. (241,242) Low testosterone allows the formation of abdominal fat, (47,239,248) which then causes more aromatase enzyme formation and thus even lower levels of testosterone and higher estrogen (by aromatizing testosterone into estrogen). It is especially important for overweight men to consider hormone modulation therapy.

Zinc Deficiency- Zinc is a natural aromatase enzyme inhibitor. (247) Since most Life Extension Foundation members consume adequate amounts of zinc (30 to 90 mg/day), elevated estrogen in Foundation members is often caused by factors other than zinc deficiency.

Lifestyle changes (such as reducing alcohol intake) can produce a dramatic improvement in the estrogen-testosterone balance, but many people need to use aromatase inhibiting agents to lower estrogen and to improve their liver function to remove excess SHBG. Remember, aromtase converts testosterone into estrogen and can indirectly increase SHBG. SHBG binds to free testosterone and prevents its from exerting its biochemical effects in the body.

Correcting A Hormone Imbalance

A male hormone imbalance is correctable by utilizing the proper blood tests and using available drugs and nutrients. The following represents a step by step program to safely restore youthful hormone balance in aging men:

Step # 1: Blood Testing

The following initial blood tests are recommended for any man over age 40:

Complete blood count and chemistry profile (to include liver-kidney function, glucose, minerals, lipids, thyroid (TSH) etc.)
Free and Total Testosterone
Estradiol (estrogen)
Progesterone
DHEA
PSA
Luteinizing hormone (LH)
Homocysteine
Step # 2: Interpretation of Estrogen-Testosterone ratio and Free Testosterone Test Results

One of the difficulties in offering standardized interpretations at this time is that blood testing laboratories are using differing test methodologies and reference ranges for testosterone and other hormones.

When interpreting serum testosterone-estrogen (estradiol) levels, the following are basic guidelines:

Free testosterone should be at the high normal reference range. We define high normal range as the upper one-third of the highest number on the reference range. Under no circumstances should free or total testosterone be above the high normal range.
Estrogen (estradiol) should be in the mid to lower normal range. If estradiol levels are in the upper one-third of the normal reference range, or above the normal reference range, this excessive level of estrogen should be reduced.

What is most surprising is how standard laboratory "reference ranges" can fool a man (and his physician) into believing he has proper hormone balance simply because he falls within the "normal" range.

[Rickson]

Continued.....

The following charts compare the conventional normal ranges for a man aged 20-49 and what the optimal ranges should be for most men over age 40:


Reference Ranges used by: LabCorp and Life Extension's Laboratory Hormone Conventional Normal Range Optimal Range
Free Testosterone 12.4- 40 26- 40 pg/mL
Estradiol 0-44 15-30 pg/mL
Total Testosterone 300 - 1000 600-1000 ng/dl


Reference Ranges used by SmithKline: Hormone Conventional Normal Range Optimal Range
Free Testosterone 34-194 128-194 pg/mL
Estradiol 0-50 15-30pg/mL
Total Testosterone 194-833 500-833 ng/dl


Reference Ranges used by Quest Laboratories Hormone Conventional Normal Range Optimal Range
Free Testosterone 50-210 138-210 pg/mL
Estradiol 0-60 15-30 pg/mL
Total Testosterone 260-1000 500-1000 ng/dl


Please remember that the conventional "normal" ranges stated above are for men aged 20-49. Conventional medicine does not expect a man over age 50 to have much testosterone, so the laboratories use a much lower reference range for men over 50. For instance, the reference range used by LabCorp for men over 50 for free testosterone is only 10.8 to 24.6, yet we have strong reason to believe the optimal range for a man over 50 should be 26 to 40. This low reference range shows how conventional medicine expects and accepts that a man over 50 will have sub-optimal free testosterone levels (and suffer all of the negative consequences of a testosterone deficiency we have discussed so far.) We presume that no one reading this article wants to be in the "normal" range of free testosterone for men over age 50.

Also not that these reference ranges indicate that it can be normal for a man to have no estrogen. The fact that most aging men have too much estrogen does not mean it is acceptable for a man to have NO (or virtually no) estrogen. Estrogen is used by men to maintain bone density and abnormally low estrogen levels may increase the risk for prostate cancer and osteoporosis. (37,117,132,184,249) Please remember the objective is hormone balance, not to create sky-high testosterone levels and not enough estrogen. The problem is that if we do nothing, most men will have too much estrogen and far too little testosterone.

If free testosterone levels are low normal (below the upper third of the highest number of the reference range), there are five possible reasons for this:

Too much testosterone is being converted to estradiol by excess aromatase enzyme and/or the liver is failing to adequately detoxify surplus estrogen. Excess aromatase enzyme and/or liver dysfunction is likely the case if estradiol levels are over 30. Remember, aromatase converts testosterone into estradiol, which can cause estrogen overload and testosterone deficiency.
Too much free testosterone is being bound by SHBG (sex hormone-binding globulin). (281-284) This would be especially apparent if total testosterone levels were in the high normal range, while free testosterone was under the upper one-third range (in the case of LabCorp, this would mean a number below 26)
The pituitary gland fails to secrete adequate amounts of luteinizing hormone (LH) to stimulate testicular production of testosterone. Total testosterone in this case would be in the bottom one-third to one-half range number. (in the case of LabCorp, this would be a number below 333-500)
The testes have lost their ability to produce testosterone, despite adequate amounts of the testicular stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone. In this case, LH would be above normal and total testosterone would in very low normal or below normal ranges.
Inadequate amounts of DHEA are being produced in the body. DHEA is a precursor hormone to DHEA ( and estrogen). (250)

Step# 3: What To Do When Results Are Less Than Optimal

(A) If estradiol levels are high (above 30), total testosterone is mid to high normal and free testosterone levels are low or low normal (bottom one-third of the highest number on the reference range), you should:

(1) Make sure you are getting 80-90 mg a day of zinc. Zinc functions as an aromatase inhibitor for some men.

(2) Consume 110 mg of soy isoflavones (phytoestrogens) each day. High levels of phytoestrogens compete with estradiol on cell receptor sites and stimulate the liver to remove estrogens from the blood. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower can also promote the liver to metabolize and excrete excess estrogen

(3) Reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption to enable your liver to better remove excess estrogens. Refer to the Foundation's Liver Degeneration protocol to learn about ways to restore healthy liver function.

(4) Review all drugs you are regularly taking to see if they may be interfering with healthy liver function. Common drugs that affect liver function are the NSAIDs...ibuprofen, acetaminophen, aspirin, the "statin" class of cholesterol lowering drugs, some heart and blood pressure medications, and some anti-depressants. It is interesting to note that drugs being prescribed to treat the symptoms of testosterone deficiency such as the statins and certain anti-depressants may actually aggravate a testosterone deficit, thus making the cholesterol problem or depression worse!

(5) Lose weight. Fat cells, especially in the abdominal region, produce aromatase enzyme, which converts testosterone into estrogen. (242)

(6) If all of the above fail to increase free testosterone and lower excess estradiol, then ask your doctor to prescribe the potent aromatase inhibiting drug Arimidex (anastrozole) in the very low dose of one-half (0.5 mg) mg, twice a week. Arimidex is prescribed to breast cancer patients at the dose of 1 to10 mg a day. Even at the high dose prescribed to cancer patients, side effects are rare. In the minute dose of 0.5 mg twice a week, a man will see an immediate drop in estradiol levels and should experience a rise in free testosterone to the optimal range.

(B) If free testosterone levels are in the lower two-thirds of the highest number in the reference range, but total testosterone is high normal, and estradiol levels are not over 30, you should:

(1) Consider following some of the recommendations in the previous section to inhibit aromatase since many of the same factors are involved in excess SHBG activity.

(2) Take 320 mg a day of the super-critical extract of saw palmetto and 240 mg a day of the methanolic extract of nettle (Urtica dioica). Nettle may specifically inhibit SHGB, (42-44,251-252) while saw palmetto may block the effects of excess estrogen by blocking the nuclear estrogen receptor sites in prostate cells which in turn activate the cell stimulating effects of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone. Saw palmetto also has an effect of blocking the oxidation of testosterone to androstenedione, a potent androgen that has been implicated in the development of prostate disease. (253)

(C) If total testosterone is in the lower one-third of the reference range or below normal, and free testosterone is low, you should:

(1) See if your luteinizing hormone (LH) is below normal. If LH is low, your doctor can prescribe an individual dose of chorionic gonadotropin (***) hormone for injection. Chorionic gonadotropic hormone functions similar to LH and can re-start testicular production of testosterone. Your doctor can instruct you how to use tiny 30-gauge needles to inject yourself two to three times a week. (Editor's note: Some scientists think *** may cause cancer. If this concerns you, consider using a testosterone patch, cream, or pellet.)

(2) After one month on chorionic gonadotropic hormone, a blood test can determine if total testosterone levels are significantly increasing. You may also see your testicles growing larger. If total testosterone levels are restored, monitor blood levels of estradiol and free testosterone every 30-45 days for the first 5 months to make sure the exogenous testosterone you are putting into your body is following a healthy metabolic pathway, i.e. it is raising your levels of free testosterone, but not increasing estradiol levels beyond 30.

(D) If total testosterone remain low despite several months of chorionic gonadotropic hormone therapy, this indicates that your testicles are not capable of producing testosterone. In this case, initiate therapy with the testosterone patch, pellet or cream. Do not use testosterone injections or tablets. Before initiating testosterone replacement therapy, have a PSA blood test and a digital rectal exam to rule out detectable prostate cancer. Once total testosterone levels are restored to a high normal range, monitor blood levels of estradiol, free testosterone, and PSA every 30-45 days for the first 6 months to make sure the exogenous testosterone you are putting into your body is following a healthy metabolic pathway and not causing a flare up of an under lying prostate cancer. The objective is to raise your levels of free testosterone to the upper third of the reference range, but not increase estradiol levels beyond 30.

Remember, excess estrogen (estradiol) blocks the production and effect of testosterone throughout the body, dampens sexuality, and increases the risk of prostate and cardiovascular disease. Once you have established the proper ratio of free testosterone (upper one-third of the highest number in the reference range) and estradiol (not more than 30), make sure your blood is tested every 30 to 45 days for the first 5 months. Then test every 6 months thereafter for free testosterone, estradiol, PSA, etc. For men in their 40s to 50s, correcting the excess level of estradiol is often all that has to be done. Men over 60 sometimes need the chorionic gonadotropin injection, and then later in life, may need to use a testosterone patch, cream or pellet.

The Testosterone Patch and PSA

An oncologist affiliated with the Life Extension Foundation reports that some men on the testosterone patch will show an elevated PSA that then drops upon cessation of the exogenously administered testosterone. There are published studies that contradict this finding. (185,254-257) Elevation of PSA could be caused by the exogenous testosterone being converted to estrogen or DHT. Therapies have been discussed that can prevent testosterone from cascading into estrogen and DHT. This oncologist noted that prostate cancer patients with low testosterone levels have a more aggressive disease, most likely related to the development of tumor cells that are androgen independent, and thus more resistant to therapy. This observation is backed up by the published literature. (185,186,201,205,224-229,254-256,286,288)

" Andro" Supplements

Androstenedione is a precursor to both testosterone and estrogen. Early studies showed that "andro" supplements could markedly increase testosterone levels, but more recent studies case doubt. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reported on an 8-week study showing that androstenedione supplements increased estrogen levels in 30 men. No increase in strength, muscle mass, or testosterone levels was observed. Meanwhile, home run hitter Mark McGwire, who made androstenedione a media sensation, says he stopped taking the supplement in April 1999. Perhaps combining androstenedione with an aromatase inhibitor that would prevent it from converting to estrogen would make this precursor hormone work better in men. In the meantime, we suggest avoiding androstenedione until more definitive research is published. (258)

Testosterone Drugs

Synthetic testosterone "steroid" drugs are chemically different from the testosterone your body makes and do not provide the same effect as natural testosterone. Here is a listing of some of the synthetic testosterone drugs to avoid using on a long-term basis:

Methyltestosterone
Danazol
Oxandrolone
Testosterone propionate, cypionate, or enanthate
Just because testosterone is called a "drug' does not mean it is not the same natural hormone your body produced. Scientists learned how to make the identical testosterone your body produces decades ago, but since natural testosterone could not be patented, drug companies developed all kinds of synthetic testosterone analogs that could be patented and approved by the FDA as new drugs. Here is a listing of currently available "natural" testosterone drugs:

Androderm Transdermal System (Smith Kline Beecham's testosterone "patch"
Testoderm Transdermal System (Alza's testosterone "patch" )
Testosterone creams, pellets and sub-lingual tablets (available from compounding pharmacies)
Both the synthetic and natural testosterone drugs require a prescription, and this prescription should only be written when blood or saliva tests reveal a testosterone deficiency.

Alternative physicians usually prescribe testosterone creams and other types made at compounding pharmacies, whereas conventional doctors are more likely to prescribe a box of ready-made FDA-approved testosterone patches. All forms of natural testosterone are the same and all will markedly increase free testosterone in the blood or saliva.

If you are exposed to children, you may want to avoid testosterone creams as there is one report of a father causing a young male child to go through pre-mature puberty because the child made contact with the testosterone cream on the father's body and on weight lifting equipment in the home. This unique case is a testament to the powerful effects that testosterone exerts in the body.

Caution: DO NOT REPLACE TESTOSTERONE IF YOU HAVE PROSTATE CANCER. Men with existing prostate cancer should follow an opposite approach as it relates to testosterone. Prostate cancer patients are normally prescribed testosterone ablation therapy (using a drug that blocks the pituitary release of LH and another drug that blocks testosterone-receptor sites on the cells). Early state prostate cancer cells can often be controlled by totally suppressing testosterone in the body. Late-stage prostate cancer patients are sometimes put on drugs that produce estrogenic effects to suppress prostate cancer cells that no longer depend on testosterone for growth. Regrettably, prostate cancer patients put on testosterone ablation therapy often temporarily suffer many of the unpleasant effects of low testosterone that have been described in this article. Before initiating a therapy that boosts your free testosterone level, a blood PSA (prostate specific antigen) test and digital rectal exam is recommended for men over age 40. While restoring free testosterone to healthy physiological levels (25 to 40 pg/mL) does not cause prostate cancer, it can induce existing prostate cancer cells to proliferate faster.

Mandatory Testing

When embarking on a hormone modulation program, medical testing is critical.

First, a baseline blood PSA must be taken to rule out existing prostate cancer. Then free testosterone and estradiol tests are needed to make sure too much testosterone is not being converted into estradiol (estrogen). If estrogen levels are too high, the use of aromatase inhibitors can keep testosterone from converting (aromatizing) into estrogen in the body. Followup testing on testosterone, estrogen, and PSA are needed to rule out occult prostate cancer and to fine tune your program. It's possible that testosterone patches, creams, etc. can increase testosterone too much. In this case, blood or saliva testing could save you money be allowing you to use less testosterone drug.

There are now under development, natural dietary supplements that boost free testosterone levels and suppress excess estrogen. Even when these supplements become available, PSA testing is still mandatory, since any substance that increases testosterone should be avoided by most prostate cancer patients.

More Information

Over the last year, three new books have been written about testosterone replacement therapy.

The best place to read about actual case histories of men who successfully used hormone modulation is Dr. Eugene Shippen's book the Testosterone Syndrome. Dr. Shippen's book provides many interesting details that could not fit into this concise protocol. Dr. Jonathan Wright's book called Maximize Your Vitality and Potency contains historical and more technical data about the benefits of testosterone that again, could not be fit into this concise protocol. Dr. Karlis Ullis' book Super T deals primarily with dietary and supplement modifications related to testosterone deficiency.

The Testosterone Syndrome, Eugene Shippen, M.D., cover price: $21.95, member price: $15.00. Maximize Your Vitality and Potency, Jonathan, Wright, M.D., cover price: $14.95, member price: $11.00.

Super T , Karlis, Ullis, M.D., cover price: $12.00, member price: $8.50.

You can expect updates to this protocol in future issues of Life Extension Magazine as more information becomes available. The Foundation will be extensively monitoring the effects of this program based on reports from clinical physicians and Foundation members. As always, worldwide data base searches will routinely be conducted to uncover new studies relating to the effects of hormone modulation and aging.

References

Due to the highly controversial nature of this article, we have taken the unprecedented step of publishing over 180 pages of scientific abstracts on our website ( www.lef.org) that are numerically matched to the statements made in this article. This may be the first time such a massive undertaking has been done, and it reflects the urgent need to convey this information to skeptical physicians so that they will prescribe testosterone and aromatase-inhibiting drugs to Foundation members whose blood tests indicate a need for these therapies.

What the Published Literature Says about Testosterone and Prostate Cancer

Studies Indicating That Testosterone Does Not Cause Prostate Cancer

Study 1: " This nested case-control study was based on the cohort of men who donated blood to the Janus serum bank at Oslo University Hospital between 1973 and 1994. Cancer incidence was ascertained through linkage with the Norwegian Cancer Registry. The study included sera from 59 men who developed prostate cancer subsequent to blood donation and 180 men who were free of any diagnosed cancer in 1994 and were of similar age and had similar blood storage time. Neither testosterone, DHT, nor the ratio testosteroneHT was associated with risk of developing prostate cancer. These results showed no association, positive or negative, between androgens measured in serum and the subsequent risk of developing prostate cancer."
Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers Prev. (1997 Nov: 6(11):967-9

Study conducted at: Department of Community Medicine and General Practice, University Medical Center, Trondheim, Norway. lars.vatten@ medisin.ntnu.no

Study 2:" We conducted a nested case-control study in a cohort of 6860 Japanese-American men examined from 1971 to 1975. At the time of examination, a single blood specimen was obtained, and the serum was frozen. After a surveillance period of more than 20 years, 141 tissue-confirmed incident cases of prostate cancer were identified, and their stored sera and those of 141 matched controls were assayed for total testosterone, free testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, 3-alpha-androstanediol glucuronide, androsterone glucuronide, and androstenedione. The findings of this study indicate that none of these androgens is strongly associated with prostate cancer risk."
Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev. (1996 Aug; 5(8):621-5)

Study conducted at: Japan-Hawaii Cancer Study, Kuakini Medical Center, Honolulu 96817, USA.

Study 3: " Prostate cancer was identified in 14% (11/77) of the entire group and in 10 men (29%) aged 60 years or older. The median age for men with cancer was 64 years. No significant differences were noted between the cancer and benign groups with regard to PSA level, PSA density, prostate volume, total testosterone level, or free testosterone level. A high prevalence of biopsy-detectable prostate cancer was identified in men with low total or free testosterone levels despite normal PSA levels and results of digital rectal examination. These data suggest that (1) digital rectal examination and PSA levels are insensitive indicators of prostate cancer in men with low total or free testosterone levels, and (2) PSA levels may be altered by naturally occurring reductions in serum androgen levels."
Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) 1996 Dec.18;276(23):1904-6

Study conducted at: Division of Urology, Beth Israel Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass. 02215.


Study 4: " We conducted a prospective nested case-control study to evaluate the relationships of serum androgens and estrogens to prostate cancer using serum collected at baseline for the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study. None of the individual androgens or estrogens was significantly related to prostate cancer. These results do not support a strong relationship of serum androgens and estrogens with prostate cancer in smokers."
Cancer Epidemiology and Biomarkers Prev. (1998 Dec;7(12):1069-74)

Study conducted at: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7374. jd7g@ nih.gov


Study 5: "We report a nested case-control study of serum biomarkers of 5 alpha-reductase activity and the incidence of prostate cancer. From a cohort of more than 125,000 members of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program who underwent multiphasic health examinations during 1964-1971, we selected 106 incident prostate cancer cases. A control was pair matched to each case on age, date of serum sampling, and clinic location. The adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for a one quartile score increase were 1.00 for total testosterone (1.00 = no increased risk), 1.14 for free testosterone, 1.13 for androsterone glucuronide, and 1.16 for 3 alpha-diol G."
Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers Prev. (1997 Jan;6(1):21-4 )

Study conducted at: Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599-7400.

Study 6: "Serum samples were obtained from 6860 men during their study examination from 1971 to 1975. After a surveillance period of about 14 years, 98 incident cases of prostate cancer were identified. Their stored sera and that of 98 matched controls from the study population were tested for the following: testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, estrone, estradiol, and sex hormone globulin. There was a suggestion that serum dihydrotestosterone levels were lower and the testosterone/dihydrotestosterone ratios were higher in the prostate cancer cases compared with their controls. However, none of these associations or that of the other hormones was strongly significant."
Cancer Research (1988 June 15;48(12):3515-7)

Study conducted at: Japan-Hawaii Cancer Study, Kuakini Medical Center, Honolulu 96817.


Study 7: " A case-control study of prostatic cancer was carried out to examine the association between selected physical characteristics and factors related to sexual development and behaviour and the risk for this disease. The levels of testosterone (T), dihydrotestosterone, salivary testosterone and T/SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin) did not vary with age. Older men had higher oestradiol (estrogen) levels. Further, little association between hormone levels and risk factors was found, except for married subjects having increased serum androgens and heavy subjects having decreased serum androgens (not significant)."
European Journal of Cancer Prev., (1992 April;1(3):239-45 )

[Rickson]

Continued....


Study conducted at: Department of Urology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands.


Study 8: "A population-based nested case-control study was conducted to determine the relation of prediagnostic serum levels of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, prolactin, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, estrone, and estradiol to the risk of subsequent prostate cancer. Serum specimens of study subjects were available from a blood collection campaign in Washington County, Maryland, in 1974. There were no significant differences in levels of these hormones between cases and controls, although elevated levels of luteinizing hormone and of testosterone:dihydrotestosterone ratios were associated with mild increased risks of prostate cancer."
Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers Prev. (1993 Jan-Feb;2(1):27-32 )

Study conducted at: National Cancer Institute, Division of Cancer Etiology, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.

Study 9: " The possible relationship between changes in peripheral hormone levels and the occurrence of prostatic pathology was studied in a case-control study, involving estimation of various plasma hormones in 368 Dutch and 258 Japanese men, who were grouped as controls and patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia, focal prostatic carcinoma, or clinically evident prostatic carcinoma. There were no significant differences in plasma androgen levels between Japanese or Dutch prostate cancer cases and their respective control subgroups. These findings do not support a correlation between the lower plasma testosterone levels and a lower incidence of prostate cancer in the Japanese men. Furthermore, no significant differences were found between salivary levels of testosterone or the ratio between testosterone and SHBG in the various Dutch subgroups. In Japanese benign prostatic hyperplasia patients, the testosterone to SHBG ratio was significantly increased. In conclusion, the results of this retrospective, cross-sectional study do not indicate that hormonal levels play a primary role in the origin or promotion of prostatic abnormalities."
Cancer Research (1991 July 1; 51(13):3445-50)

Study conducted at: Department of Endocrinology and Reproduction, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.


Study 10: " Frozen serum samples were analysed for PSA, DHT, testosterone and SHBG, and compared to the diagnosis and tumour stage, grade and ploidy. DHT levels were slightly lower in patients with prostate cancer but the difference was not statistically significant. There was a trend towards lower DHT values in more advanced tumours. Testosterone levels were lower in patients with cancer than in the control group, but the differences were not significant. There was no correlation between testosterone levels, tumour stage and ploidy. The testosterone/DHT ratio tended to be higher in patients with more advanced tumours. SHBG levels were lower in patients with cancer than in controls but the differences were not statistically significant. There were no systematic variations of tumour stage, grade and ploidy. Within a group, DHT levels tended to be lower among cases and in those with more advanced tumours. No systematic variation were found in the levels of testosterone or SHBG."
British Journal of Urology (1996 March;77(3):433-40)

Study conducted at: Department of Urology, Karolinska Institute at Stockholm Soder Hospital, Sweden.

Study 11: " Index cases and their brothers and sons had a significantly lower mean plasma testosterone content than controls of comparable age. Preliminary data suggest that the metabolic clearance rate of testosterone and the conversion ratio of testosterone to estradiol are relatively high in probands. The observations indicate that familial factors are potent risk factors for the development of prostatic cancer. They also suggest that plasma androgen values in families with prostatic cancer cluster in the lower range of normal and that plasma sex-steroid content is more similar in each brothers with or without prostatic cancer than among nonbrothers"
Prostate (1985; 6(2):121-8)

Study 12: " Baseline sex hormone levels were measured in 1008 men ages 40-79 years who had been followed for 14 years. There were 31 incident cases of prostatic cancer and 26 identified from death certificates with unknown dates of diagnosis. In this study, total testosterone, estrone, estradiol, and sex hormone-binding globulin were not related to prostate cancer, but plasma androstenedione showed a positive dose-response gradient."
Cancer Research (1990 Jan 1;50(1):169-73)

Study conducted at: Department of Community and Family Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla 92093.


Study 13: " The hypothesis that serum concentrations of pituitary hormones, sex steroid hormones, or sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) affect the occurrence of prostatic cancer was tested in a consecutive sample of 93 patients with newly diagnosed, untreated cancer and in 98 population controls of similar ages without the disease. Remarkably close agreement was found for mean values of total testosterone (15.8 in cases and 16.0 in controls), and free testosterone (0.295 and 0.293 respectively), with corresponding odds ratios for the highest vs lowest tertile of 1.0 (1.00 = no increased risk) for testosterone and 1.2 for free testosterone. Similar close agreement between cases and controls was found for serum concentrations of estradiol, androstenedione and SHBG, although the mean estradiol level was non-significantly lower among cases."
British Journal of Cancer 1993 July;68(1):97-102

Study conducted at: Department of Urology, Orebro Medical Center Hospital, Sweden.

Study 14: "Modest depression of serum testosterone and estradiol was noted for prostate cancer patients compared to clinic controls, although the differences were not statistically significant. This depression was interpreted to be a likely result of the malignant process rather than a cause of it.
Prostate 1987;11(2):171-82

Study conducted at: Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 27514.

Study 15: "The prostate cancer patients had a slightly lower mean free testosterone and mean estradiol/free T ratio than the BPH patients. The mean estradiol/free testosterone ratio was significantly higher in the BPH patients and in the PC patients than in the young controls. It seems possible that the observed age-dependent significant increase in plasma estrogen concentration in the BPH patients may act as a protective factor against prostatic cancer.
Prostate 1983;4(3):223-9

Study 16: " A 4-fold higher relative risk for the development of prostatic cancer was observed for brothers of prostatic cancer cases compared to their brothers-in-law and males in the general population of the state Utah. Probands and their brothers, and sons of the patients with the disease had significantly lower plasma testosterone levels than controls of comparable age. This is the first documentation indicating that familial (possibly genetic) factors are potent risk factors for predisposing men to the development of prostatic cancer and in regulating the plasma content of androgens. Our results indicate that plasma androgen levels in families with prostatic cancer are clustered in the lower range of the normal population. They also suggest that plasma androgen content is more similar within each family with the cancer than among the families without cancer
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (1982 Jun;54(6):1104-8 )

Study 17: "Pretreatment hormone levels were determined in 222 patients with prostatic cancer and their prognostic value assessed. The patients were grouped into yearly survival categories and only those whose cause of death was due to the disease were included in the study. Low concentrations of testosterone in plasma at the time of diagnosis related to a poor prognosis. Patients who died within 1 yr of diagnosis had the lowest mean plasma levels of this steroid. The pretreatment mean plasma testosterone concentrations were found to be higher as the survival period of the various groups lengthened. The indications from this study are that poor testicular function is associated with early death from prostatic carcinoma and that the measurement of blood levels of testosterone at diagnosis could provide a prognosis of subsequent life-span.
European Journal of Cancer Clinical Oncology (1984 April ;20(4):477-82 )

Study 18: " Pretreatment plasma concentrations of total testosterone, prolactin, and total estradiol were measured in 123 prostatic cancer patients who were categorized into groups according to the UICC classification. The mean follow-up time was 48 months. Higher pretreatment estradiol and testosterone levels were associated with better survival.
candinavian Journal of Urology and Nephrology Supplmental (1988;110:137-43)

Study conducted at: Second Department of Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland.


Study 19: "This cross-sectional study was undertaken to determine whether serum hormones (free testosterone, androstenedione, luteinizing hormone, or prolactin) have any influence on serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels in patients with stage A-C prostate cancer. None of the hormones in any of the analyses showed any association to serum PSA values. Serum free testosterone, androstenedione, and luteinizing hormone appeared to have no influence on serum PSA values in nonmetastatic cancer patients.
AMA, 1995 Nov; 87(11):813-9

Study conducted at: Department of Radiation Oncology, Michael Reese Hospital, Center for Radiation Therapy, University of Chicago, Illinois.

Study 20: " Serum levels of testosterone, DHT, androsterone, 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha, 17- beta-diol (5 alpha-diol) and estradiol were measured by radioimmunoassay in the sera of 9 patients with untreated prostatic cancer and in 11 with benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). Although no specific changes in steroid hormone levels in either disease group were found, response patterns of serum T, DHT, and E2 were shown to be those characteristic of male senescence, suggesting a relative predominance of estrogens over androgens.
Prostate Supplemental (1981;1:19-26 )

Study 21: "We studied the effect of exogenous testosterone administration on the serum levels of PSA (prostate-specific antigen) and PSMA (prostate-specific membrane antigen) in hypogonadal men. Serial serum PSA, serum PSMA, and serum total testosterone levels were obtained at intervals of every 2-4 weeks in 10 hypogonadal men undergoing treatment with exogenous testosterone, delivered as testosterone enanthate injection or by testosterone patch. A 2-tailed, paired t-test failed to demonstrate a significant correlation between serum PSA or PSMA and serum testosterone levels. This study suggests that in hypogonadal men, neither PSMA nor PSA expression is testosterone-dependent.
Journal of Surgical Oncology (1995 Aug;59(4):246-50 )

Study conducted at: Department of Surgery, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C. 20307-5001.

The Neutral Study:

Study 22: " Blood samples were collected from 52 incident cases of histologically confirmed prostate cancer and 52 age- and town of residence-matched healthy controls in Athens, Greece. DHT was associated inversely, significantly, and strongly with the risk of prostate cancer, whereas testosterone was associated marginally positively, and E2 was associated nonsignificantly inversely with the disease.
Cancer Causes Control 1997 July;8(4):632-6

Study conducted at: Department of Epidemiology and Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.


Studies Indicating Testosterone Causes Prostate Cancer

Study 1: "We conducted a prospective, nested case-control study to investigate whether plasma hormone and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels in healthy men were related to the subsequent development of prostate cancer. No clear associations were found between the unadjusted levels of individual hormones or SHBG and the risk of prostate cancer. However, a strong correlation was observed between the levels of testosterone and SHBG (r = .55), and weaker correlations were detected between the levels of testosterone and the levels of both estradiol (r = .28) and DHT (r = .32) (all P < .001). When hormone and SHBG levels were adjusted simultaneously, a strong trend of increasing prostate cancer risk was observed with increasing levels of plasma testosterone [ORs by quartile = 1.00, 1.41, 1.98, and 2.60 [95% CI = 1.34-5.02]; P for trend = .004), an inverse trend in risk was seen with increasing levels of SHBG [ORs by quartile = 1.00, 0.93, 0.61, and 0.46 [95% CI = 0.24-0.89]; P for trend = .01), and a non-linear inverse association was found with increasing levels of estradiol [ORs by quartile = 1.00, 0.53, 0.40, and 0.56 [95% CI = 0.32-0.98]; P for trend = .03). No associations were detected between the levels of DHT or prolactin and prostate cancer risk. High levels of circulating testosterone and low levels of SHBG-both within normal endogenous ranges-are associated with increased risks of prostate cancer. Low levels of circulating estradiol may represent an additional risk factor."
Journal of the National Cancer Institute (1996 Aug. 21;88(16):1118-26 )

Study conducted at: Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.

Study 2: "Basal serum concentrations of sex steroids, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and gonadotrophins, and the basal levels and response to adreno-corticotropic hormone (ACTH) of adrenocortical steroids, were measured before treatment in 72 patients with prostate cancer and in 42 age-matched healthy controls. Patients aged < 60 years with prostate cancer had significantly elevated levels of total testosterone and unconjugated [E1) and total [tE1) oestrone while patients aged > or = 60 years had significantly elevated levels of total and non-SHBG-bound testosterone (NST), 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone and tE1. Gonadotrophins, SHBG levels and relationships between total testosterone and SHBG were normal in both age groups of patients, as were basal levels and ACTH-induced increments of adrenocortical steroids. The patients had normal age-related variations in SHBG and NST and in basal levels and ACTH-induced increments of adrenocortical steroids. There was a significant age-related increase in serum E1 in the control subjects but not in the patients. Patients with metastatic disease had significantly lower tE1 levels than had patients without metastases. The results suggest an increased sensitivity of the testis to gonadotrophic stimulation, as well as an increased peripheral oestrogen synthesis in patients with prostate cancer, the latter being most pronounced in younger subjects. Men developing prostate cancer may have been exposed to a combination of elevated endogenous oestrogen and androgen levels for a long time. These findings support the theory of a synergism between oestrogens and androgens as an important factor in the aetiology of prostate cancer.
British Journal of Urology (1997 March;79(3):427-31)

Study conducted at: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge University Hospital, Sweden.


Study 3:"A blinded, case-control study was undertaken to determine if hair patterning is associated with risk of prostate cancer, as well as specific hormonal profiles. The study accrued 315 male subjects who were stratified with regard to age, race, and case-control status (159 prostate cancer cases/156 controls). Free testosterone was greater among cases than in controls (16.4 +/- 6.1 vs. 14.9 +/- 4.8 pg/ml, P = 0.02). Conversely, DHT-related ratios were greater among controls. Data suggest that increased levels of free testosterone may be a risk factor for prostatic carcinoma.
Journal of Andrology (1997 Sep-Oct;18(5):495-500)

Study conducted at: Division of Urology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710.


Study 4: " We present the case of a hypogonadal patient in whom a 20-fold increase in prostate-specific antigen and a palpable prostatic nodule developed 6 months into the administration of intramuscular testosterone."
Urology (1999 Feb;53(2):423-4 )

Study conducted at: Department of Urology, Lahey Clinic Medical Center, Burlington, Massachusetts 01805.


Study 5: " The metabolic clearance and production rates of testosterone were significantly higher in (prostate cancer) patients than in controls. These results indicate that men with prostatic cancer have elevated clearance and production rates of testosterone without an alteration of estradiol production or clearance."
Journal of Steroid Biochemistry (1989 July;33(1):19-24 r.)

Study conducted at: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City 84132.