Product Liability Lawyer Blog
Of the many claims made by drug companies regarding testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) products is they can help patients with decreased sexual desire or performance caused by low testosterone levels.
While doctors do not know what a testosterone level should be in “normal” patients, and also do not know whether having a lower than average testosterone level is a medical problem for most adults, drug companies created the term “Low T” and push for use of testosterone replacement therapy drugs to fix what they consider a problem.
However, new research shows a decreased desire to have sex may actually cause lower testosterone levels rather than lower testosterone levels resulting in a decrease in one’s desire to have sex or erectile dysfunction (ED), according to a recent article from Scientific American.
While this may seem counterintuitive, it is important to keep in mind scientists have not been claiming having a lower testosterone level causes these symptoms. Rather it was the marketing arm of the drug companies, which have been making these claims. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has never approved TRT drugs for use to treat lower testosterone levels in healthy adults. Testosterone replacement therapy drugs, as our Boston testosterone clinic injury attorneys can explain, were approved in the 1970s to treat a very rare condition known as hypogonadism. Despite the use of TRT drugs increasing over 400 percent in the past decade, hypogonadism diagnoses have not had a corresponding increase.
Researches conducted this recent study on testosterone levels and a decline in sexual activity in Australia over a two-year period. Study organizers concluded a decline in serum testosterone is more likely a result of decreased sexual activity among men over 70 rather than the cause of decreased sexual activity. All men in the study were tested to exclude those with reproductive disorders, which might skew study results. Doctors associate misinformation about sexual dysfunction in older men being caused by having a lower testosterone levels with what they consider massive over use of testosterone replacement drugs in North America.
While this was only one study, and the sample size is too small to make a definitive finding, it does seem to challenge many assumptions made by large pharmaceutical companies pushing testosterone replacement drugs. It should also be noted while doctors do not have substantial information about effects, if any, of having Low T, there is sufficient evidence testosterone replacement therapy drugs can lead to heart disease, stroke, and increased risks for other serious illness by those taking the drugs.
Meanwhile, TRT makers are continuing to market their drugs, which are already available in oral form, injections, transdermal patches, sublingual films, and skin creams and gels. Some of these methods such as oral suspension and skin gels are considered more dangerous than others, but this is not stopping companies from selling a drug, which is make them billions.
If you have been taking testosterone replacement products and have been diagnosed with heart disease or suffered a stroke, you should speak with an experienced defective products attorney as soon as possible to see if you have a case.
Call the Boston Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers for a free and confidential appointment — (617) 777-7777.
More Blog Entries:
FDA Announces Testosterone Meds Must Carry Broader Warning, July 7, 2014, Boston Products Liability Lawyers Blog