Testosterone levels may drop as men age, and changes that take place in older men often are wrongly blamed on lower testosterone. For example, the loss of erection some older men experience often is due to unhealthy arteries, not low testos-terone levels. Supplements of testosterone are available, only by prescription, for men whose bodies do not make enough of the hormone. Supplements provide many benefits for men with a genuine deficiency of testosterone. Men's muscles and bones become smaller and weaker without the hormone, and their sex drive and ability to have erections decrease.
Supplements help prevent such problems by restoring normal levels.
But too much testosterone is harmful. Now, stories about how testosterone can make older men feel young again, and can restore their muscles and their sex drive, have become popular. The problem is that most of these men already have enough testosterone, and supplements cause them to have more than is normal. It is not yet known for certain if testosterone supplements increase the risk of prostate cancer. Because many women take estrogen supplements for symptoms of menopause, estrogen is included in this fact sheet.