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Is it normal aging or low testosterone?

This is the question being asked by government researchers, specifically, the National Institute on Aging, which has seen big advertising dollars spent pharmaceutical companies hoping to turn old age into a treatable disease.

There is no real agreement on what the effects of low testosterone as one ages has on the body.

The normal range of 300 and 1,000 nanograms per deciliter fluctuates during the day and what seems low for one individual produces no adverse affects in another.

Unknown side affects, and dubious claims made by research funded by drug makers calls into question the validity of treatment claims.

Baby boomers are also pushing an industry to supply the “fountain of youth” when real vitality is better obtained through lifestyle choices than through medicine.

Adding to the confusion over what defines “low testosterone,” there’s not much understanding of whether testosterone replacement therapy actually improves men’s symptoms. Evidence of the benefits of testosterone is mixed, and the potential health risks are serious. The largest study conducted to date, a 2008 trial involving 230 patients in the Netherlands, found no improvement in muscle strength, cognitive thinking, bone density or overall quality of life among men taking testosterone. Muscle mass increased 1.2 percent, but not enough to improve physical mobility.
The National Institute on Aging is currently conducting an 800-man trial to definitively answer whether testosterone therapy improves walking ability, sexual function, energy, memory and blood cell count in men 65 years and older. But those results aren’t expected until 2014.
In addition to concerns about testosterone’s effectiveness, the long-term side effects of the hormone are not entirely understood because most trials to date have only followed patients for a few months. But the most serious risks include heart problems and prostate cancer. In fact, all testosterone drugs carry a warning that the hormone should not be given to men who have a personal or family history of prostate cancer.

Ways to save money on pharmaceuticals may be the answer for millions of Americans, especially the elderly who are often prescribed multiple medicines, to make ends meet and still maintain their health.

Coupons, generics, substitution of brands and frank discussions with your physician regarding your ability to pay for your Rx are just a few of the options available.

Obama’s health care bill is not overturned in a court ruling.

Obama wins this round and now has the Tea Party and Republican party with whom to do battle at the primaries.

A sluggish economy and poor jobs market may just be the momentum behind the president to make this law stick.

But does it help anyone to be required to buy into a broken health care system?

Standardizing costs and preventive health care should be the priority. Supporting big pharmaceutical companies with tax payer dollars will not help in the long run.

“Virginia, the sole plaintiff here, lacks standing to bring this action,” said the ruling from the 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. “Accordingly, we vacate the judgment of the district court and remand with instructions to dismiss the case for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction.”

The Richmond-based court becomes the second such federal court to uphold the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, particularly the “individual mandate” provision requiring most Americans to purchase health insurance by 2014 or face a financial penalty. Another appeals court had ruled against the administration.

The amount of money considered to constitute a conflict of interest has been lowered at the National Institute of Health.

The 16 year old conflict of interest rules for medical researchers has been revised, expanding the required disclosures.

Concern about the integrity of research in the United States has grown since 2008, when Iowa Republican Sen. Charles Grassley criticized prominent Harvard University psychiatrist Dr. Joseph Biederman and others for failing to fully disclose payments from drug companies.

In a more recent example, medical device maker Medtronic Inc came under fire over accusations that doctors paid by the company had failed to disclose major side effects from a bone growth drug in clinical trials.

Private sector funds have no place in policy governing the health of the nation.