Research News

* Low Testosterone Can Shorten Life
As men age, androgen levels decrease, a condition now termed andropause. Researchers at the University of Washington report that older men with low levels of testosterone who were admitted to a geriatric rehabilitation hospital died sooner and were less likely to survive an accident than men with high levels. (J Am Geriatr Soc, 52: 2077-2081, 2004)

There is no clear cause and effect demonstrated in this study, so the conclusions that can be drawn are conjecture at best. Still, we know that low testosterone levels in aging men are associated with muscle wasting, joint pain, osteoporosis, depression, heart disease, decline in mental function, and other conditions. It seems there is no good reason not to treat andropause with testosterone replacement.

*Prostate Cancer Drugs Increase Fracture Risk
About 30,000 men die each year from prostate cancer, making it the second leading cancer-related cause of death (lung cancer is still first). The first choice in treatment is often testosterone-suppressing drugs that work by decreasing levels of DHT, a derivative of testosterone metabolism linked to prostate cancer. University of Texas researchers found that men treated in this way had a 20 percent risk of suffering a fracture (verses 13 percent in those not taking the drugs). (N Engl J Med, 352: 154-164, 2005)

Prostate enlargement and cancer are not a given, even in men who are receiving hormone replacement therapy. Researchers from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston report that testosterone replacement does not promote prostate cancer, even in men with a precancerous condition called prostatic intrepithelial neoplasia. The study covered a twelve-month period with no negative effects noted. (J Urology, 170: 2348-2351, 2004)

*DHEA Fights Depression
Congress is about to ban DHEA, relegating it to the same status as steroids. (Tom Harkin of Iowa is the moron behind this legislation.) Researchers from the National Institutes of Mental Health report that DHEA reduced major and minor depression and improved sexual performance in more than half of middle-aged men and women taking it during a six-week study. (Arch Gen Psychiatry, 62: 154-162, 2005)

Not every one responds to DHEA, although dosage is often a factor. This study supports scores of other studies reporting the same benefits, which also include increased muscle mass and strength, both of which are important for those who want to age with dignity.

Two New Creatine Studies
Creatine may be the most widely studied supplement in history. One new study shows that creatine, like glutamine, can reduce muscle wasting during immobilization. Brazilian scientists report that creatine prevented muscle wasting in the legs of immobilized rats and increased muscle creatine phosphate levels by 18 to 25 percent (this is a good thing). It appears that the creatine helps spur the production of satellite cells, which are crucial for protein synthesis. (Clin Nutr, 23: 1176-1183, 2004)

The other creatine study suggests that it can improve carbohydrate metabolism in muscle, a finding that could be helpful for treating metabolic syndrome and diabetes. Researchers from St. Louis University report that creatine increased levels of a glucose-transporting chemical called GLUT4, which increases the deposition of glucose in cells. (Am J Endocrinol Metab, 288: E347-E352, 2004)

Everyone should be using creatine at a dosage of 5 grams a day. Studies continue to reveal new benefits of this supplement, one of the safest known to science. What was once just a supplement for weight lifters and sprinters should now be a part of everyone's daily intake.