Testosterone Levels Have Declined in Men. Here’s What the FDA Wants to Do About It.
A Food and Drug Administration panel of health experts convened Wednesday to discuss and promote the health benefits of testosterone treatments for men.
FDA Commissioner Martin Makary told Morning Edition that low testosterone is believed to be associated with symptoms in roughly one-third of men, though he said the evidence and data are not fully defined. Symptoms can include “reduction in mood and vitality,” Makary said.
Speaking to NPR’s Steve Inskeep, Makary discussed why the FDA wants to reconsider medical access to testosterone and the stigma associated with its use.
Listen to the full conversation by clicking the blue play button above.
The radio version of this story was edited by Adam Bearne and produced by Lilly Quiroz. The web copy was written by Obed Manuel and edited by Majd Al-Waheidi.
Audio Transcript
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
The Food and Drug administration is leaning into testosterone treatments. The FDA conducted an expert panel this week that promoted their potential benefits. Studies show testosterone levels have declined broadly in men. So what to do about that? Marty Makary,the FDA commissioner,came by our studios to suggest that taking a testosterone shot or patch may help.
What does it matter if testosterone levels go down? How are people affected by that?
MARTY MAKARY: Generally speaking, it’s believed to be associated with symptoms in roughly a third of individuals with low testosterone. Now, the studies aren’t very well-defined, so it might potentially be more, and we just don’t appreciate it. But the symptoms are reduced strength, a reduction in mood, sometimes depression, a reduction in vitality and a reduction in libido.
INSKEEP: Now, I did my own research, as a layman might. I looked up some things from the Cleveland Clinic. They strike me as fairly credible. And when I read their description of testosterone, what the problem is and what to do about it, I get the impression that it may have a lot to do with a sedentary lifestyle, obesity and that you can reverse the problem with the right kind of exercise. Is that correct?
MAKARY: It’s not clear which comes first, the chicken or the egg. Is it the sedentary lifestyle that