68 | www. Char l es tonPr imar yPhys i c i ans . com | www.Hea l thL i nksChar l es ton . com Testosterone is a powerful presence in the male body. It is responsible not only for muscle building, libido and semen production but also for mood and metabolism regulation, memory, concentration and bone density, according to the University of Rochester Health Encyclopedia. Testosterone may even help the body fight heart disease. But urologists have been noticing a troubling trend: Both the serum testosterone levels and sperm counts of American men have been gradually declining by as much as 1% a year. Studies done by The Massachusetts Male Aging Study in 1997, in Finland in 2002, Denmark in 2010 and Israel in 2019 have corroborated steadily declining testosterone levels and sperm counts traceable as far back as the early 1920s. These lower levels have been consistent across every category. “In the last 40 years, the average, age-adjusted testosterone levels and sperm counts for men have declined consistently,” explained urologist Dr. Dennis Kubinski, owner of The Men’s Center in Mount Pleasant. “In fact, some studies suggest a greater than 50% decline in sperm counts over the past several decades. This is, obviously, a troubling trend.” When puberty approaches, the brain’s pituitary and hypothalamus glands release hormones designed to signal the testicles to begin fueling male bodies with testosterone and to manufacture sperm, thus producing the typical masculine physical characteristics and the ability to procreate. Healthy men should continue to produce both testosterone and sperm throughout adulthood, although levels gradually drop with age.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjcyNTM1