With an ever growing epidemic of Diabetes and Metabolic syndrome, patients think that losing sight of their knees underneath their growing abdominal fat fold is a normal part of aging. Well it isn't! It is the result of poor nutrition, increased visceral fat, and declining hormone systems. Testosterone is an important part of homeostasis, also known as "Physiological Balance" Interestingly enough, testosterone is important for both men and women. As is obvious, it is a very important hormone in the male body. While the sex organs have testosterone receptors, the heart muscle has a very high density of testosterone receptors. So while decreased libido may be commonly recognized as a sign of testosterone deficiency, many other physiological processes are also effected, and much sooner in the deficiency state than that of sex drive.

Testosterone levels begin to decline at 30 years of age, and the typical male's testosterone declines by approximately 10% per decade. This age related decline is a variable utilized by laboratories to calculate free testosterone levels. What does this mean? This means when a patient's physician orders a testosterone level, the lab provides a "free testosterone" level. This level is based on a calculation that utilizes age related decline as a "normal" factor. What isn't recognized, is that the levels a patient had as 20-30 year old man should be considered optimal for that individual. Not a calculation that takes into account all the other deficient males at that age level. Health was optimal at 30 years of age.

Testosterone is a hormone that is carried in the blood stream by a protein known as Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG). If patient doesn't suffer from malnutrition, this protein binds testosterone. However, at cellular levels, it is the free unbound testosterone that engages testosterone receptors. Therefore, if a persons SHBG levels are elevated, and their total testosterone levels are normal to low, the amount of available free testosterone able to engage the receptors may be negligible.

What does this mean? This means to get an accurate picture of "free testosterone" levels, the SHBG levels must be tested. Most physicians don't do this, and most insurance companies don't encourage it.

An even scarier occurrence: As a man gains more body fat, this fat harbors an enzyme called aromatase. Aromatase is an enzyme that converts testosterone into estrogen. So as we gain mid abdominal fat and as we age, we slowly increase our estrogen levels, thus becoming a woman. It is the aromatase that enhances the vicious cycle of mid abdominal fat. Unfortunately this mid abdominal fat, also called visceral fat, secretes a hormone called Leptin. Leptin is a hormone that communicates with the hypothalamus in the brain and is engaged in satiety signally, or the feeling that we are "full" after a meal. When our body over secrets Leptin, we develop Leptin resistance.

Akin to insulin resistance, the two of these syndromes throw us into the spiral of weight gain, health problems, and diabetes.

What is Metabolic Syndrome?

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