Topic: Testosterone Supplementation Decreases Metabolic Syndrome and Improves Sexual Function

Reports on hormones findings from F. Saad and co-researchers

"Administration of testosterone cypionate over 12 months to men with sexual dysfunction and signs of the metabolic syndrome, restored their plasma testosterone (T) levels to the mid-range of reference values. This had a beneficial effect on their sexual functioning as evidenced by an improvement of their scores on the International Index of Erectile Function," researchers in Berlin, Germany report (see also Hormones).

"The scores on the Aging Male Symptoms score, AMS, were also improved. Most impressive were the improvements in the parameters of the metabolic syndrome; they all improved and appeared largely correlated (i.e., decline in waist circumference with declines of plasma cholesterol and LDL and increase in plasma HDL).

Sex hormone binding globulin, SHBG, may be considered as an indicator of the severity of the metabolic syndrome; levels of SHBG initially fell, probably as a result of rising plasma T levels. But over the last six months of the observation period when plasma T rose further, there was a significant increase in plasma SHBG which may be interpreted to indicate an improvement of the metabolic syndrome.

Blood pressure improved slightly but significantly. in this cohort of elderly men (54-76 years; median 64 years) there were no safety concerns over a one year period of T administration. Prostate specific antigen, PSA, levels remained stable; the International Prostate Symptoms Score, IPSS, improved slightly. Liver functions and plasma glucose remained stable," wrote F. Saad and colleagues.
The researchers concluded: "Hemoglogin and hematocrit values increased but remained within reference values."

Melatonin Protects Against Breast Cancer
It has been observed that women who work night shifts have an increased risk for breast cancer. It appears that prolonged exposure to light at night interferes with the body's production of melatonin, a hormone produced in response to darkness. Production of melatonin peaks at night during sleep.

A study published in Cancer Research investigated the role of melatonin and breast cancer. Rats with tumors composed of human breast cells were utilized in the study. Researchers injected rats with women's blood samples of melatonin collected at various times of the day. Rats that were injected with blood samples that were low in melatonin, their tumor growth increased and rats that were injected with high melatonin samples, tumor growth significantly slowed down.

The results of this study suggest that higher blood samples of melatonin may protect women against breast cancer. According to the abstract, "These results are the first to show that the tumor growth response to exposure to light during darkness is intensity dependent and that the human nocturnal, circadian melatonin signal not only inhibits human breast cancer growth but that this effect is extinguished by short-term ocular exposure to bright, white light at night".

*Blask DE, Brainard GC, Dauchy RT, et al. Melatonin-depleted blood from premenopausal women exposed to light at night stimulates growth of human breast cancer xenografts in rats. Cancer Res. 2005 Dec 1;65(23):11174-84.
The moral of the story is "take your melatonin"

Delivered by the Griffin Group in Costa Mesa CA