05/22/2026
THERE ARE A LOT OF REASONS FOR THE SURGE OF INTEREST IN TESTOSTERONE THERAPY OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS...
One reason is the recognition that testosterone levels have been falling since at least the 1980s by about 1% per year. I'm not talking about a man's testosterone going down as he is aging. I mean that the average 30-year-old's testosterone in 2026 is considerably lower than a 30-year-old in the 80s. Probably 30 to 40% lower. Fertility in younger men has also plummeted.
Why? We don't know for sure but we certainly have plausible theories. We used to think it was just because we are getting fatter as a society and we know that obesity contributes to low testosterone. However, even when you control for obesity, the trend still persists.
It is very likely related to what we eat and our environment.
Theories include hormone disrupting chemicals such as phthalates, BPA, and PFAS, microplastics, ultra-processed foods, increased chronic stress, even vitamin D deficiency. In truth it is likely multifactorial. But it's definitely real.
What does this mean? It means that more men are becoming symptomatic from suboptimal testosterone. This can contribute to fatigue, lack of motivation, depressed mood, s*xual dysfunction, decreased muscle mass and increased body fat, brain fog, and sleep disorder.
Low testosterone is also implicated in higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome and type two diabetes as well as increased cardiovascular risk and prostate cancer risk.
If you are a man over the age of 30 and experiencing any of these symptoms, it is certainly worthwhile to have your testosterone level checked. A thorough evaluation should also include free testosterone, s*x hormone binding globulin, estradiol, luteinizing hormone, and in some cases prolactin. Simply checking a total testosterone is insufficient as it does not show the full picture and can lead to misdiagnoses and incorrect treatment.
When you do get your levels
checked, remember that you are being compared to your 2026 peers, not 1980 peers. Reference range does not mean normal range. Let an expert explain what your number actually means when put in this context.
