Injections of the male sex hormone testosterone can not only boost low libido but also help protect men against heart attacks, a new study has claimed.
Researchers found that men who were offered a course of five injections saw their sex drive improve dramatically as well as their fitness levels, mood and their ability to concentrate.
During the US study, people who said they had a low libido dropped from 64 per cent before the treatment to ten per cent, the ‘Daily Mail’ reported.
“The results are impressive. The reduction in erectile dysfunction was highly significant,” Professor Hugh Jones, consultant endocrinologist at Barnsley Hospital, and co-author of the study, said.
Although the study was carried out on men with medically deficient levels of testosterone, known as hypogonadism, experts believe the findings could be relevant to the far larger group whose testosterone has simply dropped to the low end of normal — something that occurs frequently in men as they age.
Testosterone, the hormone produced by the testicles, is responsible for the development of male sexual characteristics as well as maintaining muscle bulk, keeping bones healthy, helping the body to produce enough red blood cells and improving mood.
However, levels of the hormone drop as men age and up to 40 per cent could suffer symptoms of low testosterone.
The study found that after the injections, the proportion of patients with low libido dropped dramatically. Blood pressure and bad cholesterol fell, too. The average waist dropped an inch, the report said.