Another Troublesome Thing About Testosterone

First, we learned that low testosterone can make us nicer people, or at least nicer male people. Now it looks like it can also spare us the frustration of prostate enlargement. Maybe. Researchers at the University of California at Santa Barbara are convinced that an overabundance of testosterone may be the dark force behind enlarged prostates. A UC Santa Barbara news release points out that benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) — or, simply, prostate enlargement — is one of the most common diseases of aging among men in the United States. In fact, by the time they hit 80 or above, more than 90 percent of all men in the U.S. experience some degree of prostate enlargement, and 40 percent of those men require medical treatment. Yes, it’s a problem. The UC researchers reached their conclusion after comparing the rate of enlarged prostates among men in industrialized societies (us) to the rate among the Tsimane, an isolated indigenous population in central Bolivia, known to have very relatively low levels of testosterone–30 percent lower than US males. The envelope please….Among the Tsimane, the researchers found almost no cases of enlarged prostates. Too big a leap? Maybe, until we know more, the researchers advise rethinking testosterone replacement therapy.