Low testosterone detrimental, TRT beneficial for men with COVID-19

haidut

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Within a month of the pandemic start back in early 2020, doctors were already noticing a gender-specific trend in COVID-19 cases. Namely, pre-menopausal women fared much better in terms of COVID-19 disease course compared to post-menopausal women and (adult) men. The ever-corrupt Big Pharma was apparently keeping a close eye on those findings and immediately saw an opportunity to make money by selling more estrogenic hormone replacement therapy (HRT). So, Big Pharma promptly declared (without any evidence) that the protective factor in women is, of course, estrogen! After a few more studies were published demonstrating that COVID-19 course was milder during the luteal phase (i.e. high progesterone relative to estrogen), Big Pharma begrudgingly admitted that progesterone may also be a protective factor and sponsored a few (smaller) trials with progesterone as well. AFAIK, the trials with estrogen (with both men and women) have all been cancelled due to either null or negative findings, while the trials with progesterone are still ongoing and a few have even successfully been completed. However, Big Pharma never admitted defeat in this obvious fiasco for estrogen, and simply changed the story to blame the higher androgen, and especially testosterone (T), levels in males for their increase vulnerability to COVID-19. After all, the so-called immunocompetence handicap hypothesis (ICHH) is one of the most established "achievements" of modern medicine in the 20th century, and Big Pharma thought the hypothesis is immune (pun intended) to criticism. The ICHH holds that the higher androgen (and, specifically, T) levels in males serve to increase their mating success and physical prowess at the expense of immune system robustness. So, according to the ICHH, it is only "natural" for males to be more vulnerable to COVID-19 due to their high(er) androgen levels compared to women. Of course, like so many other hypotheses medicine has proposed over the last 100+ years, the ICHH has been beset by "paradoxes" - i.e. euphemisms for evidence proving the hypothesis is a scam. Namely, multiple studies around the world have repeatedly demonstrated that men with higher androgen levels are more resilient to both infectious and chronic diseases, live longer, and maintain their cognitive function intact even in very old age. The study below, sent by a reader of mine from Austria, now provides direct evidence that low androgen (e.g. T) levels in males increase the risk of COVID-19 exacerbations and subsequent hospitalization. In addition, successful administration of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) was therapeutic and reduced the risk of the hypogonadal males to normal, and even below the risk of the healthy general population. This basically proves a cause-and-effect relationship - i.e. T is beneficial for males when it comes to COVID-19, and since T is antagonistic to estrogen and vise versa, the estrogen trials Big Pharma was conducting for COVID-19 can probably be classified as at best criminal negligence, with obvious legal ramifications.
@ecstatichamster @Matestube @Hans


"...Among men diagnosed with COVID-19, those with low testosterone levels are more likely to become seriously ill and end up in the hospital than men with normal levels of the hormone, according to a study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Saint Louis University School of Medicine. The team analyzed the cases of 723 men who tested positive for COVID-19, mostly in 2020 before vaccines were available. The data indicate that low testosterone is an independent risk factor for COVID-19 hospitalization, similar to diabetes, heart disease and chronic lung disease. They found that men with low testosterone who developed COVID-19 were 2.4 times more likely to require hospitalization than men with hormone levels in the normal range. Further, men who were once diagnosed with low testosterone but successfully treated with hormone replacement therapy were no more likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 than men whose testosterone levels had always tested in the normal range. The findings, published Sept. 2 in JAMA Network Open, suggest that treating men with low testosterone may help protect them against severe disease and reduce the burden on hospitals during COVID-19 waves."
 
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thanks @haidut

There is also the fact that men with Covid early on often experienced testicular damage. Dr. Peat said that the virus can attack the linings of the gut and testes via the renin-angiotensin system.

Although many studies have focused on SARS-CoV-2 infection in the lungs, comparatively little is known about the potential effects of the virus on male fertility. SARS-CoV-2 infection of target cells requires the presence of furin, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors, and transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2). Thus, cells in the body that express these proteins might be highly susceptible to viral entry and downstream effects. Currently, reports regarding the expression of the viral entry proteins in the testes are conflicting; however, other members of the SARS-CoV family of viruses — such as SARS-CoV — have been suspected to cause testicular dysfunction and/or orchitis. SARS-CoV-2, which displays many similarities to SARS-CoV, could potentially cause similar adverse effects. Commonalities between SARS family members, taken in combination with sparse reports of testicular discomfort and altered hormone levels in patients with SARS-CoV-2, might indicate possible testicular dysfunction. Thus, SARS-CoV-2 infection has the potential for effects on testis somatic and germline cells and experimental approaches might be required to help identify potential short-term and long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 on male fertility.
 

LuMonty

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Thanks @ecstatichamster for your post. Explains why my dad's guts began to fail so quickly. Also it's no surprise to me that after 2 of the shots, my brother has been struggling with low-T since and he has a bad PUFA diet like my dad did which only compounds the issue. Since I tagged you don't feel like you have to read the rest, just didn't want to double post.

From Christmas last year to about February this year, my dad was in the hospital. He tested negative for The Plague but he wasn't breathing on his own and was intubated anyways. He somehow lived through the night, but to the surprise of no one on this forum, the "health professionals" couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. He was in a bad state of acidosis and it took several of these fools conferring for a day or so to start a feed of baking soda. It had to be their idea; I suggested it much sooner but they refused. With some dialysis he seemed to improve, but started to degenerate again. Aside from the obvious lack of vitamin D, he had been several days without his TRT. The doctors kept saying they'd look into it. Around this time my father accepted anti-depressants as treatment; you can imagine what was going through my mind, as nothing I said had convinced him not to do that. Worse, my mom was letting him make these decisions even though she trusts my input; I've been drip-feeding her Peatish material for awhile.

Dad's bowels had degenerated quite a bit so the local butcher, pardon, the bowel surgeon was sent in. At this point we had been told at different times it was and wasn't The Plague several times. This jackwagon was proposing dangerous surgeries, knowing my dad couldn't handle the anesthesia, and when that was pointed out, he started rattling on about estrogen. I interrupted him and told him progesterone was better and mentioned a study. He was dumbfounded.; the confusion on his face was evident. He kept trying to argue with me but he got frustrated and left, which was good because my big brother had had enough and was about to make a stronger point about it.

No surprise, my dad ate a high PUFA junk food diet for years and avoided dairy, even with low lactose to name a few. No vitamin E either. Before he was hospitalized he had taken several ibuprofen which explains a lot. I attempted to sneak him Tyromix, which worked well but the strict visitation hours prevented real improvement, and without his TRT he degenerated quickly. Ultimately he chose a personally controlled drip of opiates and died during peak cortisol morning hours.
 
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Thanks @ecstatichamster for your post. Explains why my dad's guts began to fail so quickly. Also it's no surprise to me that after 2 of the shots, my brother has been struggling with low-T since and he has a bad PUFA diet like my dad did which only compounds the issue. Since I tagged you don't feel like you have to read the rest, just didn't want to double post.

From Christmas last year to about February this year, my dad was in the hospital. He tested negative for The Plague but he wasn't breathing on his own and was intubated anyways. He somehow lived through the night, but to the surprise of no one on this forum, the "health professionals" couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. He was in a bad state of acidosis and it took several of these fools conferring for a day or so to start a feed of baking soda. It had to be their idea; I suggested it much sooner but they refused. With some dialysis he seemed to improve, but started to degenerate again. Aside from the obvious lack of vitamin D, he had been several days without his TRT. The doctors kept saying they'd look into it. Around this time my father accepted anti-depressants as treatment; you can imagine what was going through my mind, as nothing I said had convinced him not to do that. Worse, my mom was letting him make these decisions even though she trusts my input; I've been drip-feeding her Peatish material for awhile.

Dad's bowels had degenerated quite a bit so the local butcher, pardon, the bowel surgeon was sent in. At this point we had been told at different times it was and wasn't The Plague several times. This jackwagon was proposing dangerous surgeries, knowing my dad couldn't handle the anesthesia, and when that was pointed out, he started rattling on about estrogen. I interrupted him and told him progesterone was better and mentioned a study. He was dumbfounded.; the confusion on his face was evident. He kept trying to argue with me but he got frustrated and left, which was good because my big brother had had enough and was about to make a stronger point about it.

No surprise, my dad ate a high PUFA junk food diet for years and avoided dairy, even with low lactose to name a few. No vitamin E either. Before he was hospitalized he had taken several ibuprofen which explains a lot. I attempted to sneak him Tyromix, which worked well but the strict visitation hours prevented real improvement, and without his TRT he degenerated quickly. Ultimately he chose a personally controlled drip of opiates and died during peak cortisol morning hours.

I'm so sorry for you.
 

LuMonty

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I'm so sorry for you.
Thanks man, it's been tough. Right now we're praying for my brother. Adding to what I said he has terrible sleep apnea and put off getting the at-home test and now has to wait for some weird at-clinic test instead. If memory serves, your view of sleep apnea is it's protective from the CO2 build-up. It's hard to say what's best because he has so much neck fat he wheezes; some mechanical help may be warranted for a time. Problem has been getting him to make any lifestyle changes. I've seriously considered giving him a capsule of Diamox and telling him it's something else. He, my sister and her husband have all had the shots (the other 2 have all 4) and it's been difficult to convince them of any blood-related testing. I appreciate your post and hope you've been well.
 

golder

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Thanks @ecstatichamster for your post. Explains why my dad's guts began to fail so quickly. Also it's no surprise to me that after 2 of the shots, my brother has been struggling with low-T since and he has a bad PUFA diet like my dad did which only compounds the issue. Since I tagged you don't feel like you have to read the rest, just didn't want to double post.

From Christmas last year to about February this year, my dad was in the hospital. He tested negative for The Plague but he wasn't breathing on his own and was intubated anyways. He somehow lived through the night, but to the surprise of no one on this forum, the "health professionals" couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. He was in a bad state of acidosis and it took several of these fools conferring for a day or so to start a feed of baking soda. It had to be their idea; I suggested it much sooner but they refused. With some dialysis he seemed to improve, but started to degenerate again. Aside from the obvious lack of vitamin D, he had been several days without his TRT. The doctors kept saying they'd look into it. Around this time my father accepted anti-depressants as treatment; you can imagine what was going through my mind, as nothing I said had convinced him not to do that. Worse, my mom was letting him make these decisions even though she trusts my input; I've been drip-feeding her Peatish material for awhile.

Dad's bowels had degenerated quite a bit so the local butcher, pardon, the bowel surgeon was sent in. At this point we had been told at different times it was and wasn't The Plague several times. This jackwagon was proposing dangerous surgeries, knowing my dad couldn't handle the anesthesia, and when that was pointed out, he started rattling on about estrogen. I interrupted him and told him progesterone was better and mentioned a study. He was dumbfounded.; the confusion on his face was evident. He kept trying to argue with me but he got frustrated and left, which was good because my big brother had had enough and was about to make a stronger point about it.

No surprise, my dad ate a high PUFA junk food diet for years and avoided dairy, even with low lactose to name a few. No vitamin E either. Before he was hospitalized he had taken several ibuprofen which explains a lot. I attempted to sneak him Tyromix, which worked well but the strict visitation hours prevented real improvement, and without his TRT he degenerated quickly. Ultimately he chose a personally controlled drip of opiates and died during peak cortisol morning hours.
I can empathise with you man. Watching love one’s health degenerate from poor advice is hard. The feeling of ‘I could have done better’ lingers over me massively, but at the time it feels like swimming against an overbearing tide.
 

LuMonty

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I can empathise with you man. Watching love one’s health degenerate from poor advice is hard. The feeling of ‘I could have done better’ lingers over me massively, but at the time it feels like swimming against an overbearing tide.
That's exactly the feeling I had at the time, and to an extent still do. Lately I've been diverting that energy into better perceiving my own health, which helps keep my mind occupied.
 
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Thanks man, it's been tough. Right now we're praying for my brother. Adding to what I said he has terrible sleep apnea and put off getting the at-home test and now has to wait for some weird at-clinic test instead. If memory serves, your view of sleep apnea is it's protective from the CO2 build-up. It's hard to say what's best because he has so much neck fat he wheezes; some mechanical help may be warranted for a time. Problem has been getting him to make any lifestyle changes. I've seriously considered giving him a capsule of Diamox and telling him it's something else. He, my sister and her husband have all had the shots (the other 2 have all 4) and it's been difficult to convince them of any blood-related testing. I appreciate your post and hope you've been well.

I wouldn't give anything to anyone without informed consent, of course. Tempting though it is, it's never a good idea. A few grams of thiamine several times a day works just as well.

I have watched my sister, my mother and my father decline when they could have helped themselves, but you really can't run someone else's life.
 

LuMonty

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I wouldn't give anything to anyone without informed consent, of course. Tempting though it is, it's never a good idea. A few grams of thiamine several times a day works just as well.

I have watched my sister, my mother and my father decline when they could have helped themselves, but you really can't run someone else's life.
Yes, ethically I agree but his problems are becoming as severe as mine once were, hence the temptation. I've actually given him a bottle of thiamine and he never used any, nor anything else I've provided. I understand your point though and I appreciate your balancing perspective.
 
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Yes, ethically I agree but his problems are becoming as severe as mine once were, hence the temptation. I've actually given him a bottle of thiamine and he never used any, nor anything else I've provided. I understand your point though and I appreciate your balancing perspective.

I give vitamins and such to my sister but I'm doubting she ever takes them. All you can do is offer, in my opinion.
 

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