What about the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels? Any data on these? From what I see so far, the relative changes in total and free testosterone are moderate even if significant. Changes in FSH and LH would be important for the regulation of sperm and testosterone production. IIRC There are lots of reports on sperm quality and numerical declines...
Sorry to hear, C! The reason they would be interesting is because if they were driving testosterone (and sperm production), one would see FSH up, LH up and then testosterone a bit up.
If on the other hand there is a de novo for some reason "unregulated" production or introduction of testosterone, FSH and LH would go down. For example, if someone is on "roids", these two can go down quite substantially - potentially resulting in infertility. Bodybuilders who want to avoid this, substitute "roids" with clomiphene, a partial estrogen antagonist.
Finally, part of testosterone is metabolized by aromatase to an estrogen called estradiol. If that aromatase activity is reduced/blocked it would lead to higher testosterone and lower estrogen levels. Also, FSH and LH would go up.
Aromatase is an enzyme concentrated in fat tissue, so more fat can lead to more estrogen (and lower testosterone, FSH and LH), and vice versa. And of course, aromatase inhibitors are commonly used to treat breast cancer, and to some extent in PCOS - but these are female conditions.
If there's a secular decline in testosterone, and it causes a secular decline in crime, is that a bad thing? Part of why I find it hard to get worked up over "forever and/or endocrine-disrupting chemicals"
Guess I follow the online rightoid world too much since I thought testosterone levels were going down. Thanks for setting the record straight.
What about the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels? Any data on these? From what I see so far, the relative changes in total and free testosterone are moderate even if significant. Changes in FSH and LH would be important for the regulation of sperm and testosterone production. IIRC There are lots of reports on sperm quality and numerical declines...
I like that idea. Will do!
Data not available :(
Sorry to hear, C! The reason they would be interesting is because if they were driving testosterone (and sperm production), one would see FSH up, LH up and then testosterone a bit up.
If on the other hand there is a de novo for some reason "unregulated" production or introduction of testosterone, FSH and LH would go down. For example, if someone is on "roids", these two can go down quite substantially - potentially resulting in infertility. Bodybuilders who want to avoid this, substitute "roids" with clomiphene, a partial estrogen antagonist.
Finally, part of testosterone is metabolized by aromatase to an estrogen called estradiol. If that aromatase activity is reduced/blocked it would lead to higher testosterone and lower estrogen levels. Also, FSH and LH would go up.
Aromatase is an enzyme concentrated in fat tissue, so more fat can lead to more estrogen (and lower testosterone, FSH and LH), and vice versa. And of course, aromatase inhibitors are commonly used to treat breast cancer, and to some extent in PCOS - but these are female conditions.
If there's a secular decline in testosterone, and it causes a secular decline in crime, is that a bad thing? Part of why I find it hard to get worked up over "forever and/or endocrine-disrupting chemicals"
Testosterone does so much more than violence. Drive, initiative, confidence - these are just as downstream as anger is and they're all correlated.