Testosterone - Scientists find 20-year Loss of 1% Annually

[flacorps]

According to Reuters, Dr. Thomas Travison and colleagues from the New England Research Institutes in Watertown, Massachusetts found that men's testosterone levels have been declining 1% annually for 20 years. They are at a loss to explain the cause.

Didn't statins start to gain a foothold 20 years ago?

[Darrell]

Small 16-week studies may fail to illuminate a lot of potential problems:

"HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors interfere with cholesterol synthesis and as such might theoretically blunt adrenal and/or gonadal steroid production. Results of clinical trials with drugs in this class have been inconsistent with regard to drug effects on basal and reserve steroid levels. However, clinical studies have shown that lovastatin does not reduce basal plasma cortisol concentration or impair adrenal reserve, and does not reduce basal plasma testosterone concentration. Another HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor has been shown to reduce the plasma testosterone response to HCG. In the same study, the mean testosterone response to HCG was slightly but not significantly reduced after treatment with lovastatin 40 mg daily for 16 weeks in 21 men."
(http://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/m/mevacor/mevacor_pi.pdf)