Low testosterone under-diagnosed, easy to treat.

"The gel-form testosterone Basil Irwin uses to help him feel vibrant and healthy again arrives in the mail every 90 days with an orange warning sticker that reads: "Controlled substance, dangerous unless used as directed."

Because this signature male hormone develops muscle and fuels sex drive, bodybuilders and others have abused it and jeopardized their health — one reason doctors must write 6-month prescriptions versus the standard 12 months.

However, for the estimated 13 million men suffering from low testosterone in the United States, legitimate testosterone replacement therapy represents an elixir for those diagnosed and treated.

Therapy benefits include reduced fatigue, depression and anger; a rekindled interest in sex and more frequent erections; and increased muscle mass and bone density. Yet, only 5 percent to 10 percent of those considered eligible for HRT receive it.

Irwin, 57, said that unraveling his tangled health issues, which include pernicious anemia and hypothyroidism, delayed the low testosterone diagnosis he got three months ago.

HRT boosted his total testosterone blood levels from a low normal score of 378 nanograms per deciliter to 719 ng/dL by late last month. The range for men runs from 300 to 1,000 ng/dL, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Within one week of starting HRT, he felt positive treatment results."

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