Can scientific developments and economic growth cause as much harm as they do good? Recent New York Times articles bring up this question by addressing an interesting topic: the increasing popularity of testosterone creams.
These creams are often prescribed to aging men to reverse the effects of aging; according to one study, people taking testosterone cream became stronger and had better endurance than those who were not. However, their chances of getting heart disease (particularly heart attacks and strokes) increased by about five times. Other studies have shown that this risk is especially high for men over 65– the age group that testosterone marketing is aimed toward.
Testosterone is supposed to be prescribed for men with a condition called hypogonadism, which causes extremely low testosterone levels. However, some physicians have been prescribing supplements to more and more people who have only slightly low levels of testosterone even though many others say there really isn’t a standard level of the hormone that everyone should have, and the risks of using testosterone cream would outweigh the benefits.
Dr. Lisa Schwartz, a professor at Dartmouth University, summed it up with: “We’re giving people hormones that we don’t know they need, for a disease that we don’t know they have, and we don’t know if it’ll help them or harm them.”
So with all the scientific evidence against it, why is testosterone treatment still so popular, and why hasn’t the government tried harder to regulate it? There have been no official, government-funded clinical trials to determine the benefits and risks of taking testosterone. As of now, we don’t know if the bone loss and decreased strength of older people is really due to low levels of this hormone, or if taking supplements would reverse these problems.
However, some people say that clinical trials (which would keep testosterone on the market for at least the duration of the trial) aren’t the best course of action; a Hunter College professor argued, “It’s in the interest of the pharmaceutical companies to have a trial going on for ten years. In that time, they can continue to sell testosterone.” She definitely has a point. Sales of testosterone gels alone (not counting supplements or pills or even nasal sprays) generated about $2 billion in the United States in 2013, and the profit is expected to double by 2017.
So at some point in history, testosterone was isolated and synthesized in large amounts, and then sold to people for a huge profit. But did this development happen for a good cause? Is it doing as much harm as it is doing good? We will definitely need to do more research to find out.
Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/16/us/a-push-to-sell-testosterone-gels-troubles-doctors.html?_r=0
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/02/03/weighing-testosterone-benefits-and-risks/
All drugs should be tested before being put on the market. It is not right to prescribe a patient a product when you don’t know how it will affect them. Consumers worry about chemicals and hormones in their food all the time, so it is very interesting that they wouldn’t be so worried about something they are applying to their own bodies. Do you think there is too much advertising in medicine? I know that the US is one of the only countries that allows drug companies to advertise. Is that right? Or does it just cause people to think they have something wrong with them when they are completely fine?
I can’t believe they allow this stuff on the market without testing it. People freak out all the time about foods that mimic hormones, or other stuff, but here they are taking hormone supplements that they might not even need and that could be potentially harmful. I think we need to make medicine less of a business, and just gear it towards helping humanity. This creme probably isn’t helping anyone, it’s just generating huge revenue. Do you think there should be stricter limits before letting medicines onto the market? Do you think medicine has become too much of a business? Should companies be allowed to sell medicines that haven’t completed clinical trials yet?
I am very surprised that testosterone cream was allowed on the market without prior federal testing. I really do not understand why people would continue to use a product whose effects are not yet confirmed. The only effect we have confirmed is the heart disease one, and that is terrible! Do you think that this is an instance where the government should step in, or should people just learn to have a little more common sense? I do feel that Americans need more common sense in general. To use an unknown product in the hopes of it targeting whatever you want it to is ridiculous. As someone who rarely takes even Advil, I do not believe in altering our bodies ESPECIALLY with an unknown drug. If something does not happen soon, it is the government’s job to protect its citizens from the drug. Do you agree or disagree? Great post!