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Actions of Testosterone |
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The Actions of Testosterone |
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In women, testosterone is a steroid
hormone produced primarily by the ovaries and adrenal glands. Testosterone
has a direct affect on blood sugar levels and the function of the
reproductive system, the nervous system, the cardiovascular system, the
skeletal system and other tissues. |
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Like all steroid hormones, excessive amounts of
testosterone can contribute to a number of increased health risks. |
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Though testosterone is commonly associated with libido,
proper testosterone levels are |
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critical for the prevention of depression and osteoporosis. |
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Following is a list of some of the
actions and functions of progesterone. More information, and references can
be found in the book What's Your Menopause Type? |
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The Menstrual Cycle and the Endometrium |
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Excessive testosterone levels may increase risk of endometrial cancer
due to hyperinsulinemia 1, 2. |
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The Vagina & Urinary Tract |
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Testosterone may
decrease vaginal atrophy as well as inflammation, itching and pain of the
vulva 3, 4 |
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The Libido |
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Testosterone Is the most important hormone for maintaining
sex drive in women 5, a deficiency can cause impaired sexual
function 6. Normal testosterone levels can result in increases
sexual satisfaction, increases responsive to sexual activity, increases sexual
activity 7, 8. |
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Blood Sugar & Insulin |
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Excessive testosterone levels can
result in insulin resistance 9 with increased glucose and insulin
levels 10. Increased testosterone levels may also contribute to
increased obesity (since high insulin levels increase fat storage) 11
and increased risk of heart disease and diabetes 12, 13 |
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The Brain – Mood & Memory |
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Depression is one of the major symptoms associated
with low testosterone levels in women 14. Low testosterone has a
significant negative effect on mood, personal sense of well being,
interpersonal relationships, self-confidence and self worth 15, 16. |
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The Breasts |
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Though high testosterone levels may occur with 17
or even before the breast cancer 18, the increased insulin levels
caused by excessive testosterone may be the direct cause 19, 20.
(Note: Estrogen replacement therapy can restore balance and control high
insulin caused by too much testosterone 20.) |
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The Skin |
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Testosterone
can preserve skin collagen and protect the skin from thinning 21, 22,
as well as sebaceous glands activity which lubricates the skin 23. |
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Bones & Osteoporosis |
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Testosterone
(and its metabolite dihydrotestosterone) directly stimulate receptors on the
osteoblast (bone building) cells to stimulate bone growth, bone
mineralization and repair of damaged bone 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30.
Testosterone replacement can effectively decrease osteoporosis in and of
itself 31, 21, 32, 33. Androgens such as testosterone appear to work together
with estrogens to preserve and rebuild the joint cartilage between bones 35. |
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The Heart |
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Testosterone has a relaxing (vasodilating) effect on
coronary arteries 36, 37, 38, and can decrease symptoms of angina. Women are not given required
testosterone may be at a much greater risk of coronary artery heart disease 39. |
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Though
testosterone given alone can promote atherosclerosis and decrease HDL (good
cholesterol) 40, it does not have the same effect if given with
estrogens 36. The increased risk of heart disease associated with
excessive testosterone is associated with insulin resistance 12,
and can be improved by giving estrogen to balance the excess 41. References: (1)
Ciampelli M, Lanzone A. Insulin and polycystic ovary syndrome: a new look at
an old subject. Gynecol Endocrinol 1998 Aug;12(4):277-92 (2)
Gamayunova VB, Bobrov YuF, Tsyrlina EV, Evtushenko TP, Berstein LM.
Comparative study of blood insulin levels in breast and endometrial cancer
patients. Neoplasma 1997;44(2):123-6 (3)
Leiblum S, Bachmann G, Kemmann E, Colburn D, Swartzman L. Vaginal atrophy in
the postmenopausal woman. The importance of sexual activity and hormones. JAMA 1983 Apr
22-29;249(16):2195-8 (4)
Friedrich EG Jr, Kalra PS. Serum levels of sex hormones in vulvar lichen
sclerosus, and the effect of topical testosterone. N Engl J Med 1984 Feb
23;310(8):488-91 (5)
Sherwin BB. Sex hormones and psychological functioning in postmenopausal
women. Exp Gerontol 1994 May;29(3-4):423-430 (6)
Sands R, Studd J. Exogenous androgens in postmenopausal women. Am J Med 1995 Jan 16;98(1A):76S-79S (7)
Persky H, Lief HI, Strauss D, Miller WR, O'Brien CP. Plasma testosterone
level and sexual behavior of couples. Arch Sex Behav 1978 May;7(3):157-173 (8)
Davis SR, Burger HG. Use of androgens in postmenopausal women. Curr Opin
Obstet Gynecol 1997 Jun;9(3):177-180 (9)
Falkner B, Hulman S, Kushner H. Gender differences in insulin-stimulated
glucose utilization among African-Americans. Am J Hypertens 1994
Nov;7(11):948-52 (10)
Haffner SM, Valdez RA. Endogenous sex hormones: impact on lipids,
lipoproteins, and insulin. Am J Med 1995 Jan 16;98(1A):40S-47S (11)
De Pergola G, Triggiani V, Giorgino F, Cospite MR, Garruti G, Cignarelli M,
Guastamacchia E, Giorgino R. The free testosterone to dehydroepiandrosterone
sulphate molar ratio as a marker of visceral fat accumulation in
premenopausal obese women. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1994
Oct;18(10):659-64 (12)
Khaw KT, Barrett-Connor E. Fasting plasma glucose levels and endogenous
androgens in non-diabetic postmenopausal women. Clin Sci (Colch) 1991
Mar;80(3):199-203 (13) Andersson B, Mattsson LA, Hahn L, Marin P,
Lapidus L, Holm G, Bengtsson BA, Bjorntorp P. Estrogen replacement therapy
decreases hyperandrogenicity and improves glucose homeostasis and plasma
lipids in postmenopausal women with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. J
Clin Endocrinol Metab 1997 Feb;82(2):638-43 (14)
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Khastgir G, Studd J. Hysterectomy, ovarian failure, and depression. Menopause
1998 Summer;5(2):113-22 (16) Persky H, Lief HI, Strauss D, Miller WR,
O'Brien CP. Plasma testosterone level and sexual behavior of couples. Arch
Sex Behav 1978 May;7(3):157-173 (17) Kaaks R. Nutrition, hormones, and breast
cancer: is insulin the missing link? Cancer Causes Control 1996 Nov;7(6):605-25
(18) Berrino F, Muti P, Micheli A, Bolelli G,
Krogh V, Sciajno R, Pisani P, Panico S, Secreto G. Serum sex hormone levels
after menopause and subsequent breast cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 1996 Mar
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AA, de Jong-Bakker M, Nooijen WJ. Insulin resistance and breast-cancer risk.
Int J Cancer 1992 Oct 21;52(4):511-6 (20)
Andersson B, Mattsson LA, Hahn L, Marin P, Lapidus L, Holm G, Bengtsson BA,
Bjorntorp P. Estrogen replacement therapy decreases hyperandrogenicity and
improves glucose homeostasis and plasma lipids in postmenopausal women with
noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. J (21)
Brincat M, Moniz CF, Studd JW, Darby AJ, Magos A, Cooper D. Sex hormones and
skin collagen content in postmenopausal women. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1983
Nov 5;287(6402):1337-8 (22)
Brincat M, Moniz CF, Kabalan S, Versi E, O'Dowd T, Magos AL, Montgomery J,
Studd JW. Decline in skin collagen content and metacarpal index after the
menopause and its prevention with sex hormone replacement. Br J Obstet
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Pochi PE, Strauss JS, Downing DT. Age-related changes in sebaceous gland
activity. J Invest Dermatol 1979 Jul;73(1):108-11 (24)
Saito H, Yanaihara T. Steroid formation
in osteoblast-like cells. J Int Med Res 1998 Jan;26(1):1-12 (25)
Nishimura S. [Role of testosterone
propionate and insulin in the regeneration and growth of bone].[Article in
Japanese] Meikai Daigaku Shigaku Zasshi 1990;19(3):291-309 (26)
Kasperk CH, Wergedal JE, Farley JR,
Linkhart TA, Turner RT, Baylink DJ. Androgens directly stimulate
proliferation of bone cells in vitro. Endocrinology 1989 Mar;124(3):1576-1578
(27)
Gasperino J. Androgenic regulation of bone
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Nakano Y, Morimoto I, Ishida O, Fujihira
T, Mizokami A, Tanimoto A, Yanagihara N, Izumi F, Eto S. The receptor,
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1994 Sep;26(3):245-259 (29)
Bruch HR, Wolf L, Budde R, Romalo G,
Schweikert HU. Androstenedione metabolism in cultured human osteoblast-like
cells. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1992 Jul;75(1):101-105 (30)
Takeuchi M, Kakushi H, Tohkin M.
Androgens directly stimulate mineralization and increase androgen receptors
in human osteoblast-like osteosarcoma cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1994
Oct 28;204(2):905-911 (31)
Wakley GK, Schutte HD Jr, Hannon KS,
Turner RT. Androgen treatment prevents loss of cancellous bone in the
orchidectomized rat. J Bone Miner Res 1991 Apr;6(4):325-330 (32)
Davis SR, Burger HG. Use of androgens in
postmenopausal women. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol 1997 Jun;9(3):177-180 (33)
Tremollieres F, Pouilles JM, Ribot C.
[Postmenopausal bone loss. Role of progesterone and androgens].[Article in
French] Presse Med 1992 Jun 6;21(21):989-993 (34)
Nishimura S. [Role of testosterone
propionate and insulin in the regeneration and growth of bone].[Article in
Japanese] Meikai Daigaku Shigaku Zasshi 1990;19(3):291-309 (35)
Somjen D, Weisman Y, Mor Z, Harell A,
Kaye AM. Regulation of proliferation of rat cartilage and bone by sex steroid
hormones. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 1991;40(4-6):717-723 (36)
Sarrel PM. Cardiovascular aspects of
androgens in women. Semin Reprod Endocrinol 1998;16(2):121-8 (37)
Yue P, Chatterjee K, Beale C,
Poole-Wilson PA, Collins P. Testosterone relaxes rabbit coronary arteries and
aorta. Circulation 1995 Feb 15;91(4):1154-60 (38)
White CM, Ferraro-Borgida MJ, Moyna NM, McGill CC, Ahlberg AW, Thompson PD,
Chow MS, Heller GV. The pharmacokinetics of intravenous testosterone in
elderly men with coronary artery disease. J Clin Pharmacol 1998
Sep;38(9):792-7 (39)
Rako S. Testosterone deficiency: a key factor in the increased cardiovascular
risk to women following hysterectomy or with natural aging? J Womens Health
1998 Sep;7(7):825-9 (40)
Crook D, Seed M. Endocrine control of
plasma lipoprotein metabolism: effects of gonadal steroids. Baillieres Clin
Endocrinol Metab 1990 Dec;4(4):851-75 (41)
Andersson B, Mattsson LA, Hahn L, Marin
P, Lapidus L, Holm G, Bengtsson BA, Bjorntorp P. Estrogen replacement therapy
decreases hyperandrogenicity and improves glucose homeostasis and plasma
lipids in postmenopausal women with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. J
Clin Endocrinol Metab 1997 Feb;82(2): |
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YourMenopauseType.com,
Inc. |
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