198 terms
Men's health glossary
Short, plain definitions of the conditions, lab markers and medicines you will hear about in men's health care. Each links to the full page.
- Acne scars
- Acne scars are permanent changes in skin texture left by deep or picked breakouts, most often shallow depressions on the cheeks, temples and jaw.
- Adrenal fatigue
- Adrenal fatigue is not a recognized medical diagnosis. The Endocrine Society says no scientific proof supports it, and a systematic review of 58 studies found no substantiation for it.
- ALT and AST liver enzymes
- ALT and AST are enzymes that leak into the blood when liver or muscle cells are stressed.
- Anastrozole on TRT: When an Estrogen Blocker Is Used
- Anastrozole (Arimidex) is FDA-approved only for breast cancer in postmenopausal women; in men on TRT it is an off-label estrogen blocker.
- Andropause (male menopause)
- Andropause, or male menopause, is a popular name for the slow fall in testosterone that comes with age, roughly 1 percent a year after 40.
- ApoB blood test
- ApoB, or apolipoprotein B, is a protein carried once by every LDL, VLDL and Lp(a) particle, so its level counts the particles that can lodge in artery walls.
- Avanafil (Stendra): The Fast-Onset ED Medication
- Avanafil (Stendra) is an FDA-approved PDE5 inhibitor for erectile dysfunction whose label allows the 100 and 200 mg doses to be taken as early as about 15 minutes before sex.
- Bacteriostatic Water: Mixing and Storing Injectables
- Bacteriostatic water is sterile water with 0.9 percent benzyl alcohol, a preservative that slows bacterial growth, so a vial can be entered more than once.
- Bioavailable testosterone test
- Bioavailable testosterone is the free testosterone in your blood plus the portion loosely attached to albumin, which tissues can also draw on.
- Blood tests for erectile dysfunction
- A standard ED blood workup checks a morning total testosterone, a fasting glucose or A1c, a fasting lipid panel and kidney function, with thyroid tests and PSA added for some men.
- Blood tests for fatigue
- A practical fatigue workup for men checks eight markers: a complete blood count, ferritin, TSH, vitamin B12, vitamin D, hemoglobin A1c, an early-morning testosterone and, when symptoms point that way, a morning cortisol.
- Blood tests for hair loss
- Classic male pattern hair loss is diagnosed from how it looks and where it thins, so it does not need a blood test.
- Blood tests for low libido
- A low libido workup starts with a morning total testosterone, then adds prolactin, estradiol, LH and often TSH.
- Blood work after a steroid or SARM cycle
- After a steroid or SARM cycle, a useful panel checks LH, FSH and morning total testosterone to see whether your own production is restarting, plus estradiol, hematocrit, lipids and liver enzymes for the effects of the cycle itself.
- Blood work after coming off TRT
- After stopping TRT, recovery is tracked with LH, FSH and early-morning total testosterone.
- Blood work before IV therapy
- It depends on what goes in the bag and how often. Before high-dose vitamin C, kidney function and a G6PD test matter, because the kidneys clear every gram and G6PD deficiency can trigger red cell breakdown.
- Blood work before peptide therapy
- Before a growth-hormone-releasing peptide such as sermorelin or tesamorelin, blood work usually pairs a baseline IGF-1 with fasting glucose, A1c and lipids.
- Blood work before semaglutide or tirzepatide
- Before semaglutide or tirzepatide, the usual checks are A1c, kidney function, a lipid panel and liver enzymes, plus a direct question about medullary thyroid cancer or MEN 2 in you or your family.
- Borderline low testosterone
- Borderline low testosterone usually describes a morning total testosterone of roughly 300 to 400 ng/dL, just above the 264 and 300 ng/dL cutoffs major guidelines use.
- Borderline testosterone levels: 300 to 400 ng/dL
- A total testosterone of 300 to 400 ng/dL sits just above the 300 ng/dL cutoff the AUA uses, so it is a gray zone rather than a diagnosis.
- BOTOX Cosmetic for Men: How It Works and How Long It Lasts
- BOTOX Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA) is FDA-approved to soften frown lines, forehead lines, crow's feet and vertical neck bands.
- Brain fog
- Brain fog is not a diagnosis but a description of slowed thinking, poor focus and word-finding lapses.
- CBC blood test
- A complete blood count (CBC) measures red cells, white cells and platelets, plus red-cell size and shape indices such as MCV and RDW.
- Cholesterol changes on TRT
- At normal replacement levels, testosterone's effect on cholesterol is usually small, and the AUA calls the overall evidence uncertain.
- Chronic stress and low testosterone
- Chronic stress can lower testosterone in two main ways. Raised cortisol suppresses testosterone production in the testes, and the short, broken sleep that comes with stress lowers it further.
- Clomiphene for Men: Off-Label Use for Low T
- Clomiphene citrate (Clomid) is FDA-approved only to treat ovulation problems in women.
- Comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP)
- A comprehensive metabolic panel is a routine blood test that reports 14 values.
- Constant food cravings and food noise
- Food noise is the constant, intrusive thinking about food that many people describe, often between meals and soon after eating.
- Creatine kinase (CK) test
- A creatine kinase (CK) test measures an enzyme that leaks out of muscle when it is strained or damaged.
- Cystatin C test
- Cystatin C is a protein made by cells throughout the body, and healthy kidneys keep its blood level steady.
- Dark spots after acne or razor bumps
- The dark marks left after a pimple or razor bump heals are usually post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, extra pigment made by irritated skin.
- Deep smile lines (nasolabial folds)
- Nasolabial folds deepen when the cheeks lose fat and bone support and the tissue above the fold slides forward and down.
- DHEA-S
- A DHEA-S test measures dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, a hormone made mostly by the adrenal glands.
- Early hair loss in men in their 20s
- Hair loss in your 20s is usually early male pattern loss, and this is the stage where treatment does the most, because thinning follicles are still alive.
- ED pills not working
- ED tablets often fail for fixable reasons, such as a dose that is too low, sildenafil taken after a heavy meal, too little time before sex, no sexual stimulation, or low testosterone.
- eGFR and creatinine kidney test
- eGFR, the estimated glomerular filtration rate, is calculated from your blood creatinine, age and sex.
- Enclomiphene for Men: What It Is and Its 2026 Status
- Enclomiphene is one of the two forms in clomiphene. It blocks estrogen feedback in the brain, which raises LH, FSH and testosterone while sparing sperm production.
- Enlarged prostate (BPH) and testosterone
- In carefully screened men, testosterone therapy has not been shown to worsen BPH symptoms.
- Erectile dysfunction after a heart attack or stent
- The American Heart Association considers sex reasonable for many men at least a week after an uncomplicated heart attack, or several days after a stent with a healed access site, if mild to moderate activity causes no symptoms.
- Erectile dysfunction after prostate radiation
- After radiation for prostate cancer, erections often stay close to normal at first and then decline gradually, typically starting 24 to 36 months after treatment as small blood vessels and nerves scar.
- Erectile dysfunction after prostatectomy
- After radical prostatectomy, erections usually return slowly as the nerves beside the prostate recover, commonly over 12 to 24 months and sometimes up to 36.
- Erectile dysfunction as an early sign of heart disease
- Erectile dysfunction can be an early warning of artery disease, because the same narrowing that limits blood flow to the heart often affects the smaller penile arteries first.
- Erectile dysfunction from antidepressants
- SSRIs and related antidepressants commonly cause lower desire, weaker erections and delayed orgasm.
- Erectile dysfunction in men under 40
- ED is not rare under 40. In one clinic study, one in four men seeking help for new ED was 40 or younger, and almost half of them had severe ED.
- Erectile dysfunction with diabetes
- More than half of men with diabetes develop ED, because high blood sugar damages the nerves and blood vessels erections depend on.
- Erectile dysfunction with normal testosterone
- When testosterone is normal on repeat morning testing, adding more will not fix ED.
- Facial volume loss after GLP-1 weight loss
- Large, fast weight loss on semaglutide or tirzepatide removes fat from the face along with the body, which can hollow the cheeks and temples and loosen skin.
- Family history of early heart disease
- Heart disease counts as early in your family if your father or brother was diagnosed before 55, or your mother or sister before 65.
- Family history of prostate cancer
- If your father or brother had prostate cancer, your own risk is higher, and the American Cancer Society suggests starting the PSA screening conversation at 45, or at 40 if more than one close relative was diagnosed young.
- Fasting before a testosterone test
- Yes, it matters for diagnosis. In a study of 74 men, a standard glucose drink lowered average testosterone by 25%, and levels were still below baseline two hours later.
- Fasting glucose test
- A fasting glucose test measures blood sugar after at least eight hours without food.
- Fasting insulin test
- A fasting insulin test measures how much insulin your pancreas releases to hold blood sugar steady overnight.
- Fatty liver disease
- Metabolic fatty liver disease, now called MASLD, is fat buildup in the liver linked to excess weight, insulin resistance and high triglycerides rather than alcohol.
- Ferritin
- Ferritin is the protein that stores iron, and its blood level tracks your iron reserves.
- Finasteride for Hair Loss: How It Works and Side Effects
- Finasteride 1 mg (Propecia) blocks the enzyme that turns testosterone into DHT, the hormone that shrinks hair follicles in male pattern hair loss, and it is FDA-approved to slow loss at the crown and mid-scalp.
- Folate blood test
- A folate blood test measures folic acid, the B vitamin your bone marrow needs to build red blood cells.
- Forehead lines
- Forehead lines in men come from years of raising the brows with the frontalis muscle, deepened by sun and thicker skin.
- Free PSA test
- A free PSA test measures how much of your PSA circulates unattached to blood proteins, reported as a percentage of total PSA.
- Free T3 test
- A free T3 test measures the unbound form of triiodothyronine, the most active thyroid hormone.
- Free T4 test
- A free T4 test measures the unbound thyroxine your thyroid releases, and it confirms or refines what a TSH result suggests.
- Free testosterone calculator explained
- A free testosterone calculator estimates the small, unbound share of testosterone from three lab values, total testosterone, SHBG and albumin, using the equation Vermeulen published in 1999.
- Free testosterone test
- A free testosterone test measures the small fraction of testosterone that is not bound to proteins.
- FSH
- FSH, follicle-stimulating hormone, is the pituitary signal that tells the testes to make sperm.
- GGT blood test
- A GGT test measures gamma-glutamyl transferase, an enzyme found mainly in the liver and bile ducts.
- Glutathione IV: What It Can and Cannot Do
- Glutathione is a small molecule your cells make to neutralize oxidative damage.
- Growth hormone decline
- Growth hormone output falls gradually with age in every man, and that normal decline is different from adult growth hormone deficiency, a diagnosis usually confirmed with stimulation testing by an endocrinologist.
- Gynecomastia
- Gynecomastia is growth of true breast gland tissue in men, felt as a firm, rubbery disc under the nipple, unlike the soft, even fat of a heavier chest.
- HbA1c
- HbA1c measures the share of your hemoglobin coated with glucose, which reflects your average blood sugar over the past two to three months.
- HCG for Weight Loss: Why the HCG Diet Is Not a Treatment
- HCG does not cause weight loss. Its own FDA label states it has not been shown to be effective for obesity, a 1995 meta-analysis found no scientific evidence that it works, and the FDA says over-the-counter HCG drops are illegal.
- Heavy drinking and low testosterone
- Regular heavy drinking lowers testosterone by damaging the testosterone-making cells in the testes, dampening the brain's signal to them, and straining the liver that clears hormones.
- Hematocrit
- Hematocrit is the share of your blood volume made up of red blood cells.
- High ApoB with normal LDL
- Every artery-clogging lipoprotein particle carries exactly one ApoB molecule, so ApoB counts particles, while LDL cholesterol measures how much cholesterol they carry.
- High bilirubin and Gilbert's syndrome
- When bilirubin is only mildly high, the raised part is the indirect (unconjugated) form, and liver enzymes are normal, the usual explanation is Gilbert's syndrome.
- High cholesterol
- High cholesterol usually causes no symptoms and is found on a lipid panel that measures LDL, HDL and triglycerides.
- High estradiol in men not on TRT
- In men who are not on testosterone, a high estradiol usually traces back to excess body fat, heavy drinking, liver disease or a medicine, and less often to thyroid problems or a rare tumor.
- High estrogen
- In men who are not on testosterone therapy, high estrogen usually means estradiol is being overproduced from excess body fat, regular heavy drinking or a strained liver.
- High ferritin
- A high ferritin in a man usually reflects fatty liver, alcohol, inflammation or metabolic syndrome rather than too much iron.
- High hematocrit before starting TRT
- A hematocrit above about 48% before treatment, or above 50% for men living at high altitude, is a relative reason not to start testosterone under the Endocrine Society guideline, because testosterone raises red cell counts further.
- High liver enzymes after lifting
- A hard lifting session can raise AST and ALT, because muscle contains both enzymes.
- High prolactin
- High prolactin suppresses the brain's signal to the testes, so testosterone and libido fall.
- High PSA before starting TRT
- Under the Endocrine Society guideline, testosterone should not be started in a man whose PSA is above 4 ng/mL, or above 3 ng/mL if he is at higher risk of prostate cancer, until a urological evaluation is done.
- High SHBG with normal testosterone
- When SHBG is high, more of your testosterone is tightly bound and unavailable to tissues, so total testosterone can look normal while free testosterone is low.
- High TSH with normal free T4
- A high TSH with a normal free T4 is called subclinical hypothyroidism.
- High-Dose Vitamin C IV: Uses, Evidence and Safety
- High-dose IV vitamin C bypasses the gut, so it can push blood levels many times higher than anyone can absorb from pills.
- HLA-B27 test
- HLA-B27 is an inherited immune marker linked to ankylosing spondylitis and related inflammatory arthritis.
- Hollow under-eyes
- Under-eye hollows form when fat and bone support along the lower eye socket thin out, casting a shadow that reads as tiredness.
- HOMA-IR insulin resistance score
- HOMA-IR estimates insulin resistance from one fasting blood draw.
- Homocysteine blood test
- Homocysteine is an amino acid your body clears with vitamin B12, folate and vitamin B6, and levels under about 15 µmol/L are usually called normal.
- Hormone imbalance
- Hormone imbalance in men usually means one of five systems is running too high or too low, testosterone, estradiol, thyroid, cortisol or prolactin.
- Hot flashes and night sweats
- Hot flashes in men usually follow a sudden, steep drop in testosterone, such as stopping TRT or anabolic steroids, or starting androgen-deprivation therapy for prostate cancer.
- How often to get blood work on TRT
- Guidelines call for labs before you start, testosterone and hematocrit about 3 to 6 months in, a PSA recheck within the first year, and then testosterone, hematocrit and PSA review every 6 to 12 months.
- hs-CRP blood test
- The high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) test measures low-grade inflammation linked to heart disease risk.
- Hyaluronidase: How Filler Dissolving Works
- Hyaluronidase is an enzyme that breaks down hyaluronic acid, so it can dissolve HA fillers such as JUVÉDERM and VOLUMA, usually within hours to two days.
- IGF-1
- An IGF-1 blood test measures insulin-like growth factor 1, the hormone made mainly in the liver in response to growth hormone.
- IGF-1 levels on sermorelin or tesamorelin
- IGF-1 is the blood test that shows whether sermorelin or tesamorelin is raising your growth hormone activity.
- Insulin resistance
- Insulin resistance means muscle, fat and liver cells respond poorly to insulin, so the pancreas makes more to keep blood sugar normal.
- Iron panel and transferrin saturation
- An iron panel measures serum iron, total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) or transferrin, and transferrin saturation, usually alongside ferritin.
- Irritability and mood swings
- Irritability and mood swings in men can come from low testosterone, from testosterone levels that peak and crash between injections, and sometimes from high estradiol.
- Jowls
- Jowls form when the jaw and midface lose bone and fat support and the skin loosens, so tissue settles below the jawline.
- Klinefelter syndrome and testosterone
- Klinefelter syndrome (47,XXY) is a chromosomal condition in which small testes make too little testosterone for life, a form of primary hypogonadism.
- Knee pain and excess weight
- Extra weight multiplies the load on your knees: in one trial, each pound lost took about four pounds of force off the knee with every step.
- Lab monitoring on HCG
- HCG therapy is monitored with testosterone, a sensitive estradiol test and hematocrit, plus a semen analysis when fertility is the goal.
- Lack of ab definition despite training
- Visible abs need two things, enough muscle and a thin enough layer of fat over it.
- LDL particle number (LDL-P) test
- An LDL-P test uses nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to count LDL particles, reported in nmol/L.
- LH
- Luteinizing hormone (LH) is the pituitary signal that tells the testes to make testosterone.
- Lipid panel
- A lipid panel reports total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglycerides, and most men do not need to fast for it, because normal meals shift the results only slightly.
- Lipoprotein(a) blood test
- Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), is an inherited cholesterol particle that raises the risk of heart attack, stroke and aortic valve narrowing.
- Losing an erection during sex
- Losing an erection partway through sex, without trouble getting one, usually points to anxiety or distraction, condom-related loss, or a vascular problem where blood drains out too quickly, known as venous leak.
- Loss of jawline definition
- A jawline loses definition when the jaw angle, chin and the bone beneath them lose projection, or when fat and loose skin soften the edge.
- Loss of morning erections
- Morning erections are the tail end of erections that happen several times during sleep.
- Low bone density
- Low testosterone, and the estradiol men make from it, both help keep bones strong, so deficiency can lead to bone loss.
- Low estradiol
- Men need a modest amount of estradiol for bone strength, body fat regulation and sexual function.
- Low HDL cholesterol
- For men, an HDL below 40 mg/dL is considered low. Low HDL rarely travels alone; paired with high triglycerides, it usually signals insulin resistance and excess abdominal fat.
- Low hemoglobin
- Low hemoglobin, or anemia, in an adult man is never just a number to supplement away; it needs a cause.
- Low libido
- Low libido in men usually has one of three roots. Hormonal causes include low testosterone, high prolactin and thyroid problems.
- Low motivation and low testosterone
- Low testosterone can dull drive, but depression and burnout cause the same flat, unmotivated feeling far more often.
- Low SHBG
- SHBG is the protein that binds testosterone tightly in the blood.
- Low testosterone after a head injury
- A traumatic brain injury can damage the pituitary gland, which controls testosterone, cortisol, thyroid and growth hormone.
- Low testosterone after testicular cancer
- Men treated for testicular cancer can develop low testosterone because one testicle is gone and chemotherapy or radiation may weaken the remaining one.
- Low testosterone despite a healthy lifestyle
- When a lean, active man who sleeps well and drinks little still has low morning testosterone on two tests, lifestyle is unlikely to be the cause.
- Low testosterone symptoms
- The common symptoms of low testosterone in men are lower sex drive, fewer morning erections, fatigue, loss of muscle and strength, more body fat, and trouble concentrating.
- Low testosterone with low LH
- When testosterone is low and LH is low or inappropriately normal, the problem usually sits in the pituitary or hypothalamus rather than the testes.
- Low thyroid vs low testosterone
- Low thyroid and low testosterone share fatigue, weight gain, low libido and low mood, so symptoms alone cannot separate them.
- Magnesium blood test
- A standard magnesium blood test measures serum magnesium, which holds well under 1 percent of the body's supply, so it can read normal while stores are low.
- Male pattern hair loss
- Male pattern hair loss is inherited, hormone-driven thinning that follows a set path from the temples and crown toward the top of the scalp.
- Melasma
- Melasma is a pattern of blotchy brown or gray-brown patches, usually on both cheeks, nose and forehead.
- Metabolic syndrome
- Metabolic syndrome is diagnosed when a man has at least three of five markers: a waist over 40 inches, triglycerides of 150 mg/dL or more, HDL under 40 mg/dL, blood pressure of 130/85 or higher, or fasting glucose of 100 mg/dL or higher.
- Morning cortisol test
- Cortisol peaks in the early morning and falls through the day, so the test is drawn around 8 a.m. to be readable.
- Morning testosterone test timing
- Testosterone is highest in the early morning and falls through the day; in men aged 30 to 40 it can be 20 to 25% lower at 4 p.m. than at 8 a.m.
- MTHFR gene test
- The MTHFR test checks two common variants, C677T and A1298C, that can slow how your body uses folate to clear homocysteine.
- Muscle loss in men after 40
- Men gradually lose muscle and strength from midlife on, a process that becomes sarcopenia when strength drops low enough to affect daily function.
- Normal testosterone levels by age
- For healthy, non-obese men aged 19 to 39, the harmonized reference range for total testosterone is about 264 to 916 ng/dL.
- Obesity and low testosterone
- Excess body fat lowers testosterone in two ways: fat tissue converts testosterone into estradiol, and estradiol, insulin, leptin and inflammation quiet the brain's LH signal to the testes.
- Omega-3 index test
- The omega-3 index measures EPA and DHA as a percentage of the fatty acids in your red blood cell membranes, which reflects your longer-term intake.
- Opioid-induced low testosterone
- Long-term opioid use can lower testosterone by suppressing the brain hormones, GnRH and LH, that tell the testes to make it.
- Oral Minoxidil for Hair Loss: Low-Dose Off-Label Use
- Oral minoxidil is FDA-approved only as a tablet for severe high blood pressure.
- Overtraining and low testosterone
- Heavy training paired with too little food or recovery can lower testosterone by quieting the brain's signal to the testes.
- Performance anxiety and erectile dysfunction
- Performance anxiety ED is likely when erections are normal in the morning, during sleep or alone, but fail with a partner, especially after one bad experience.
- Phentolamine in Trimix: What It Does for ED
- Phentolamine is an alpha-blocker, and in Trimix its job is to stop the nerve signal that tightens penile arteries and ends an erection.
- Priapism Reversal: Phenylephrine and Your Safety Plan
- An erection that lasts four hours after a Trimix or Quadmix injection is a medical emergency, because the trapped blood runs out of oxygen and can scar the penis.
- Primary hypogonadism
- Primary hypogonadism is low testosterone caused by the testes themselves, from conditions such as Klinefelter syndrome, injury, mumps, chemotherapy or radiation.
- Prolactin
- Prolactin is a pituitary hormone that, in men, normally runs under about 20 ng/mL.
- PSA
- PSA is a protein made by the prostate, and a blood test measures how much reaches the bloodstream.
- PSA on finasteride
- Finasteride lowers PSA by roughly half; the Proscar label puts the drop at about 50%, and a trial of the 1 mg hair-loss dose found median drops of 40 to 50% within 48 weeks in men aged 40 to 60.
- PT-141 (Bremelanotide) for Men: Uses and Status
- PT-141 (bremelanotide) activates melanocortin receptors in the brain to increase sexual desire, rather than widening blood vessels like Viagra or Cialis.
- Receding hairline
- A receding hairline in men usually starts at the temples and is driven by inherited androgen sensitivity.
- Reduced penile sensitivity
- Reduced penile sensitivity usually comes from nerve or blood-flow changes: diabetes-related nerve damage, aging, prolonged pressure from cycling, some antidepressants, and sometimes low testosterone affecting arousal.
- Retatrutide in 2026: Status, Trials and Safety
- Retatrutide is an experimental weekly injection from Eli Lilly that activates GLP-1, GIP and glucagon receptors.
- Reverse T3 test
- Usually not. Reverse T3 is an inactive form of thyroid hormone, and the American Thyroid Association says measuring it does not help diagnose hypothyroidism in healthy people outside the hospital.
- Rising PSA on TRT
- A small PSA rise is common after starting testosterone, as the prostate responds to restored hormone levels.
- Saline and Lactated Ringer's: The Fluids in IV Hydration
- Normal saline is salt water with 154 mEq/L each of sodium and chloride.
- Secondary hypogonadism
- Secondary hypogonadism is low testosterone caused by a weak signal from the pituitary or hypothalamus, seen on labs as low testosterone with a low or normal LH.
- Semaglutide for Men: How It Works, Side Effects and Status
- Semaglutide is a once-weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist, sold as Wegovy for weight and Ozempic for diabetes, that slows stomach emptying and reduces appetite.
- Sensitive estradiol
- A sensitive estradiol test measures estradiol by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS), which can accurately read the low levels found in men.
- SHBG
- An SHBG blood test measures sex hormone binding globulin, a liver protein that holds testosterone tightly and keeps it away from your tissues.
- Sildenafil (Viagra): How It Works, Dosing and Safety
- Sildenafil (Viagra) is an FDA-approved PDE5 inhibitor that strengthens erections only when you are sexually aroused.
- Skinny fat
- Skinny fat describes a man whose weight and BMI look normal but who carries too much body fat and too little muscle.
- Sleep apnea and low testosterone
- Obstructive sleep apnea and low testosterone often travel together, linked by broken sleep, nightly oxygen dips and the excess weight that drives both.
- Slow recovery after workouts in men over 40
- Recovery slows somewhat after 40 for every man, as muscle mass declines and tissues repair more slowly.
- Stubborn belly fat
- Belly fat comes in two layers. Subcutaneous fat sits under the skin and can be pinched, and NEO Slim body sculpting is designed for that layer.
- Sudden hair shedding
- Sudden, heavy shedding all over the scalp a few months after illness, surgery, major stress or rapid weight loss is usually telogen effluvium, and it typically settles within six to nine months once the trigger passes.
- Sun spots on the face
- Sun spots (solar lentigines) are flat tan to brown patches caused by years of ultraviolet exposure, most often on the cheekbones, temples, forehead and nose.
- Sun-damaged skin
- Sun-damaged skin is the cumulative result of years of ultraviolet exposure, showing up as rough or leathery texture, blotchy tone, scattered brown spots and fine lines, most often on the face, neck, ears and hands.
- Tadalafil (Cialis): Daily vs As-Needed Dosing Explained
- Tadalafil (Cialis) comes in two schedules. A low daily dose of 2.5 to 5 mg keeps a steady level in your blood, so sex does not need to be planned, and 5 mg daily is also approved for enlarged-prostate urinary symptoms.
- Target testosterone level on TRT
- Guidelines aim for the middle of the normal range on treatment, not the top.
- Tendon pain in lifters
- Tendon pain in lifters is usually overuse tendinopathy at the elbow, shoulder or knee, triggered by jumps in volume, intensity or new movements.
- Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis)
- Tennis elbow is overuse damage to the tendon on the outside of the elbow, causing pain with gripping and lifting.
- Testicular atrophy (shrinking testicles)
- Testicular atrophy means one or both testicles have become smaller or softer.
- Testosterone after weight loss: when to retest
- Meaningful weight loss usually raises testosterone. A meta-analysis found total testosterone rose about 2.9 nmol/L (roughly 83 ng/dL) with low-calorie diets and about 8.7 nmol/L (roughly 252 ng/dL) after bariatric surgery, with bigger gains in men who lost more.
- Testosterone Cypionate: How It Works, Dosing and Monitoring
- Testosterone cypionate (Depo-Testosterone and generics) is an FDA-approved, Schedule III testosterone injection dissolved in cottonseed oil.
- Testosterone Enanthate for TRT: What to Know
- Testosterone enanthate is an FDA-approved, Schedule III testosterone ester dissolved in sesame oil.
- Testosterone too high on TRT
- A testosterone result above the reference range on TRT is often a timing artifact, from blood drawn near a peak soon after a dose.
- Thinning crown
- Crown thinning is usually spread-out miniaturization, with many weakened follicles still alive across the area, so it often responds better to PRP and medical therapy than a receding hairline does.
- Thyroid antibody test (TPO and TgAb)
- Thyroid antibody tests look for thyroid peroxidase (TPO) and thyroglobulin (TgAb) antibodies, the immune signature of Hashimoto's disease.
- Tirzepatide for Men: How It Works and Side Effects
- Tirzepatide (Zepbound for weight and sleep apnea, Mounjaro for diabetes) is one molecule that activates both GIP and GLP-1 receptors, slowing digestion and cutting appetite.
- Topical Minoxidil for Men: Foam, Solution and Shedding
- Topical minoxidil is an over-the-counter, FDA-approved treatment for male pattern hair loss at the crown, sold for men as a 5% foam or solution.
- Topical Numbing Cream Before Laser and Injections
- Numbing creams such as lidocaine, or compounded blends of benzocaine, lidocaine and tetracaine (BLT), are applied before laser, PRP or filler to dull pain.
- Total testosterone blood test
- A total testosterone test measures all the testosterone in your blood, bound and free.
- Triglycerides blood test
- A triglycerides test measures the fat carried in your blood, usually after a 9 to 12 hour fast.
- TSH
- TSH is the pituitary signal that tells your thyroid how hard to work, and it is the usual first thyroid test.
- Uric acid blood test
- A uric acid blood test measures urate, the waste left when your body breaks down purines.
- Vardenafil (Levitra): Uses, Onset and Side Effects
- Vardenafil (Levitra) is an FDA-approved PDE5 inhibitor for erectile dysfunction, taken about 60 minutes before sex.
- Varicocele and low testosterone
- A varicocele is a cluster of enlarged veins above the testicle, usually on the left.
- Vascular erectile dysfunction
- Vascular erectile dysfunction happens when the arteries that fill the penis cannot widen and deliver blood fast enough, or the tissue cannot hold it.
- Visceral fat
- Visceral fat is fat stored deep in the abdomen around the liver, gut and other organs.
- Vitamin B12 blood test
- A serum B12 test measures vitamin B12 in your blood, but cutoffs vary by source.
- Vitamin B12 Injections and IV: Who Actually Benefits
- B12 by injection clearly helps men with a documented deficiency, which is common with long-term metformin, acid-reflux medicines, strict plant-based diets, pernicious anemia or stomach and bowel surgery.
- Vitamin D
- The vitamin D blood test measures 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the storage form your body builds from sun, food and supplements.
- Vitamin D3 for Men With Low Levels: Dosing and Retesting
- A 25-hydroxy vitamin D blood test shows how low your stores are and guides how much vitamin D3 a clinician suggests.
- Weaker erections than before
- Erections that are still usable but noticeably less rigid usually score a 3 instead of a 4 on the four-point Erection Hardness Score.
- Weight gain after 40
- Weight creeps up after 40 mostly because muscle slowly declines, testosterone drifts down and sleep gets shorter, not because metabolism suddenly breaks.
- Weight loss plateau
- A weight loss plateau happens because a smaller body burns fewer calories, appetite rises to defend the old weight, and lost muscle lowers energy use further.
- What can raise PSA temporarily
- PSA can rise for a short time after ejaculation, vigorous cycling, a prostate or urinary tract infection, a prostate biopsy, cystoscopy or a urinary catheter.
- What can throw off a testosterone test
- A testosterone result can be pulled off course by things that have nothing to do with your hormones long term.
- When should men start PSA screening
- For average-risk men, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force calls PSA screening an individual decision from 55 to 69, and the American Cancer Society starts the conversation at 50.
- When to draw labs on TRT: trough vs peak
- Draw timing depends on how you take testosterone. The Endocrine Society measures injections midway between doses and pellets at the end of the dosing interval, while the Kyzatrex label checks levels 3 to 5 hours after the morning capsule.
- Why one low testosterone result is not enough
- Testosterone varies enough from one day to the next that a single result cannot diagnose low testosterone.
- Zinc blood test
- A zinc blood test measures the zinc circulating in your serum or plasma.
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