Paul after eating raw fish, head and all. If you knew sushi like I knew sushi,  oh, oh, oh  what a girl.

The NBC Nightly News (9/3, Williams) reported in its broadcast that the FDA “says there’s little evidence that testosterone boosting drugs taken by millions of American men are actually effective.” NBC notes that the agency also pointed out that it’s not convinced they carry serious risk either. “The condition has been marketed as low ‘T’ and the medications are offered to help with low sex drive and fatigue among some men,” notes NBC.

The FDA’s comments come ahead of a public meeting “to discuss the benefits and risks of treatments that raise levels of the male hormone” on Sept. 17, according to the AP (9/4, Perrone). The meeting comes after two federally funded studies “found links between testosterone therapy and heart problems in men.” The AP also testosterone boosting treatments have come under the spotlight “amid an industry marketing blitz for new pills, patches and formulations that has transformed testosterone a multibillion-dollar market.”

BLOGFINGER MEDICAL COMMENTARY by Paul Goldfinger, MD, FACC:

It’s not clear  how testosterone therapy leads to increased stroke or heart attacks, but, regardless, there is some evidence that it is true, so I don’t think doctors ought to be encouraging this treatment when the benefits of therapy are not clear.  Surprisingly, about 20% of men who take testosterone never had a blood level measured before starting the hormone.  The forthcoming public meeting sponsored by the Food and Drug Administration should  result in a drop in prescribing this unproven drug.

Don’t forget possible side effects of testosterone.  Just because it is a naturally occurring substance doesn’t mean that its use as a supplement will be safe.  This drug can cause the prostate gland to enlarge and it can cause harmful blood clotting.

Be aware that your insurance company may not be willing to pay for testosterone blood testing in otherwise healthy older men.

If you are going to research medical issues on line, try to use sources that you can trust, such as this one from Mayo:      Mayo Clinic staff discusses testosterone