Testosterone levels decreasing in Danish men

A new study has revealed that contemporary Danish males have lower levels of testosterone than their fathers.

The research, conducted on 5,000 Danish men by the Rigshospitalet Clinic, shows that those born in the 1960s have on average 14 percent lower testosterone levels than males from the 1920s. The study also discovered that the testosterone-binding protein SHBG had fallen by 26 percent in the same period, according to a report by MetroXpress newspaper.

“It’s a little frightening and thought-provoking that there is something affecting men’s sex hormone,” said Anna-Maria Andersson, the research study leader from the Rigshospitalet Clinic for Growth and Reproduction.

Fertility doctor Peter Lyngdorf said testosterone is vital for maintaining regular heart functions in addition to several other measures, such as aiding bone structure.”It’s worrying if men are suddenly lacking one of their key strengths that make them men,” he added.

Lyngdorf theorised that a combination of factors could be behind the reduced testosterone levels in modern men, such as greater use of pesticides in food products and increasingly unhealthy lifestyles.

According to data from the Danish Medicines Agency, more Danish males are currently being prescribed testosterone, with numbers increasing from 437,000 in 2004 to 554,000 in 2008.