If you are a man, you really can't get enough testosterone. It helps preserve your muscle strength and mass, sex drive, sperm production, bone density, red blood cell production, fat distribution and facial and body hair. Unfortunately, as you age, your body inevitably produces less and less of this vital, gender-defining hormone. As a result, you lose bone density, you gain weight, and your sexual mojo stops firing on all cylinders. It can even lead to depression and a loss of self-confidence.

But it doesn't have to be that way.

Testosterone therapy, as demonstrated in the so-called “TTrials” staged at the the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute, is a viable and readily available treatment which can bring the magic back.

The TTrials were designed so that scientists could gain a better understanding of how testosterone therapy impacts men aged 65 and older who have low testosterone levels. There were three trials: the Sexual Function Trial, the Physical Function Trial and the Vitality Trial. For each, the research team screened 51,085 men over the age of 65, identifying 790 men who had low testosterone levels and who met all other criteria.

The subjects were divided into two groups. The first was given a testosterone gel to apply, the second was provided with only a placebo. The men applied their gels daily for a year, and filled out questionnaires designed to track their vitality, mood, depression and sexual and physical function regularly during that time.

The results clearly showed the efficacy of the testosterone gel. An analysis of the men's blood samples showed that those who received testosterone therapy demonstrated blood testosterone levels that were comparable to those of men aged 19 to 40 years. When compared to the placebo users, the scientists discovered that those who used the testosterone gel enjoyed substantial improvements in all areas of sexual function - including sexual desire, sexual activity and the ability to get an erection.

It even licked depression! The gel did not, however, provide any substantive gains in walking distance in the Physical Trial, nor any appreciable improvements in overall energy. So-called “adverse events” – including heart attack, stroke, other cardiovascular events and prostate conditions – did not vary meaningfully between the gel and control groups during the course of the trial.

Dr. Ronald Swerdloff, a researcher at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute, concluded that “While these initial findings are encouraging for men with low testosterone levels, the TTrials will continue to analyze the data to determine whether testosterone treatment improves cognitive function, bone density, cardiovascular health and anemia, as well as the risks of testosterone treatment."

The results of the first leg of the TTrials were published in The New England Journal of Medicine.