Just Getting Older .. or Low-T?
Feeling that loss of youthful vitality? Watching your hairline regress, muscle mass deteriorate, energy slump, and libido decline? Aging is part of life, but why suffer in silence when help is available?
We see these problems daily and work to help men get back to living life as they desire. Our aim is simple. We restore male vitality.
We offer comprehensive and personalized treatment plans, helping you take control of your health and well-being at every stage of life. If you are ready to regain your edge, we invite you to book your visit now, or call us at (985)345-5500 to schedule a consultation with our men's health testosterone specialty physicians. Why trust your male hormone health to a nurse practitioner, woman's health doctor, or any non-urologist?
Our men's health specialty doctors are all board-certified urologists .. and we have only male physicians. We have the experience and we will take the time necessary to evaluate your concerns and get you treated. Here's looking forward to helping you kick-start your journey to better health!
Testosterone and Aging
At about thirty years-of-age men may notice body changes possibly associated with declining testosterone levels resulting in decreased energy and sometimes less enthusiasm for life. There can be diminishing results at work, in the gym, or even in the bedroom. It could be nagging aches and pains, mood swings, hair loss, weight gain, or a struggle to get a good night’s sleep. At this early stage, mild symptoms are often effectively managed with diet, supplements, and lifestyle changes.
For forty-somethings testosterone may decline as metabolism slows. As the heads of families and primary bread winners, many men find themselves burning the candle at both ends. Job and career stresses lead the way. By this point professional athletes have already retired, but regular Joes just keep pressing on. Sleep patterns suffer, while healthy lifestyles fall away as men just try to keep up.
As men move on into their fifties testosterone continues to slide, just as other serious health risks increase. Muscle mass regresses and it becomes harder to keep the belly weight off. By this time, problems can develop with penile rigidity and ability to maintain. These problems are not unusual. We see these problems daily.
As testosterone levels decline through the sixties, men tend to develop degenerative joint problems, vascular trouble, muscle weakness, bone thinning, and associated worsening of body aches and pains. Aging is inevitable for men blessed with longevity. But why do some men seem to maintain vitality longer than others? Answers are never simple, but we all want to live as healthy as possible for as long as God grants us years of quality life. Thus, our service mission here is readily apparent. When you are ready, we're ready to help!
Our Men's Health Urology Specialty Practice
Welcome to the Northlake Urology, the Northshore region's first choice in men's health and wellness. Because of our experience and proven success in caring for the distinctive needs of men, we are the preferred men's health specialty clinic on the Northshore. Our experienced board-certified urologists use state-of-the-art techniques to evaluate and manage low testosterone (low-t) online (telemedicine) or face-to-face in any of our three convenient office locations in Mandeville/Covington, Slidell, or Ponchatoula/Hammond.
Testosterone care is our specialty! Testing is quick but thorough, using highly refined lab assays to accurately measure blood testosterone levels and other important endocrine tests that fly-by-night non-urology 'men's clinics' have been known to overlook. Why should any man ever select any less qualified medical provider? Why should any man see a non-urologist, or a woman's health doctor (gynecologist), or a nurse practitioner? Why settle for less than a truly qualified physician?
Unique to our organization is the ownership and oversight of our men's health specialty clinic by board certified urology specialist, Dr. Stephen Watson. Dr. Watson has spent his entire professional carrier providing men's specialty healthcare, effectively alleviating hypogonadism (low testosterone), erectile dysfunction (ED), ejaculatory disorders, prostatitis, and a vast array of other serious men's health issues. Dr. Watson's mission is to restore energy, vitality, performance, and longevity by thoroughly evaluating patients for any men's health issue (including potentially serious non-urological medical issues), always putting the safety and well-being of his patients first. Trust your care only to a true urology men's specialty physician. We're here to help. Call us today!
Testosterone and Health
To expand and clarify the topic of testosterone and aging, a recent study involving the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging was undertaken. This study actually found that testosterone levels do indeed decrease with age, but aging itself was not found to be an independent risk factor for low blood levels of testosterone. Instead, low testosterone was found to be associated with a number of medical illnesses such as obesity, diabetes, anemia, heart disease, vascular disease, and stroke. Indeed these diseases are more common with age, but age alone (independent of other risk factors) may not 'cause' low testosterone.
Multiple medical and lifestyle factors have been shown to affect testosterone levels, most prominent among them being obesity, diabetes, age, and the presence of cancer (in that order). Additional risk factors have smaller impacts on testosterone levels including alcohol intake, smoking, drug use, physical inactivity, hypertension (high blood pressure), and cardiovascular disease. An 'association' does not necessarily imply a cause (meaning low-T may or may not directly cause these other diseases and vice versa). Yet, low-T could actually be a marker (or early sign) of other even more serious medical problems. These more serious medical problems deserve medical attention; thus, the reason that evaluation by a qualified men's health physician (doctor) is always advisable!
Might normal blood levels of testosterone be a marker for good health? Conversely, might low testosterone levels prove to be an indicator of poor male health? Does correction of blood testosterone lead to better health generally, or are other medical, dietary, and behavioral changes also needed to optimize men's health? These answers to these questions are only partially known. However, we do know this much; the correction of low blood levels of testosterone (by several different means) can be the beginning of improved health for men with symptomatic hypogonadism (low-T).
Questions have been raised as to the cardiovascular safety of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). This question seems to have been answered by way of a well done multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, trial involving over 5000 men with symptomatic hypogonadism (low-T) and preexisting cardiovascular disease (or a high risk of cardiovascular disease). This report, known as the TRAVERSE Study, recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine with the authors of the 4-year study concluding that, "testosterone-replacement therapy was non-inferior to placebo with respect to the incidence of major adverse cardiac events." Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is thought to be generally safe and well tolerated, as long as patients are carefully followed by a qualified medical doctor.
It should be noted that, the authors of the TRAVERSE Study did note a "higher incidence of atrial fibrillation, acute kidney injury, and pulmonary embolism in the testosterone group." These are even more reasons that patients must be monitored. Patients in this study were closely monitored during and TRT was reduced or even discontinued for certain medical indications, such as significant polycythemia (blood thickening), elevation of PSA, or excessively high blood levels of testosterone. Other safety questions have also been raised over the years. Thus, awareness and medical monitoring by a qualified physician (doctor) is critical.
We hope that this information is helpful. Let us know if you need more information or if our services might benefit you. Call us or book your appointment online now.