Testosterone
Testosterone is a hormone which affects sexual features and development. Men have about ten times more testosterone in their blood than women. Yes, women do have testosterone which is produced by the ovaries, and both sexes have a small amount produced by the adrenal glands.
In males, testosterone levels are low before puberty, increase during puberty, peak around the age of 40, then gradually lessen as men age. Coincidentally, or maybe not, men are diagnosed with MS more frequently just as their testosterone levels begin to drop.
Protection from MS
Testosterone seems to protect young men from developing MS. Used therapeutically, it has a protective quality, inducing anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. A recent small pilot study involving 10 men with RRMS has supported this finding. As the study used a crossover design, each patient served as his own control with a 6-month observation period followed by 12-months of treatment with gel containing 100mg testosterone (AndroGel®) applied to the upper arms once per day.
Read this post in its entirety:
MS in Men and Women: The Role of Testosterone in Men
I wonder...if I had a sex change...how that affects MS. I wonder if it has ever been done...
ReplyDeleteInteresting question. I seem to recall a blogger who was in transition from he to she, and who had a Probable MS diagnosis. I can't remember her blog address. I wonder if she noticed any changes with the hormone adjustments?
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