Diabetes & Low-T: Know Your Risks & Treatment Options

A growing health concern among men in the United States is Type 2 Diabetes, formerly known as Adult-Onset Diabetes, a metabolic disorder brought on by high blood glucose levels and insulin deficiency. As average obesity levels have risen over the past 50 years, Type 2 Diabetes cases have increased proportionately. This is because obesity is considered to be the primary cause of the disease.

If you are one of the 13 million men in the United States with Type 2 Diabetes (11.8% of all men over the age of 20 suffer from the disease), there are several important risks and treatment options that you need to be aware of. Startlingly enough, if you have Type 2 Diabetes, you are twice as likely to suffer from Low-T. This likelihood increases with age, as elderly men often experience the symptoms of lower testosterone levels. If you have Type 2 Diabetes as well as these following symptoms, you could be at greater risk for Low-T: fatigue, decreased sex drive, reduced lean body mass, lack of energy or erectile dysfunction.

Now that you know the risks and symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes, it is important to be aware of the treatment and prevention options available. Type 2 Diabetes is a disease that can and must be managed, especially in elderly men. When it comes to managing Type 2 Diabetes, many of the most helpful things are daily habits such as managing stress, eating a healthy diet and engaging in physical activity. If you are obese or genetically predisposed to the disease, these daily habits will prevent its onset if you are not already diagnosed. In more serious cases of Type 2 Diabetes, insulin medications and even surgery can be necessary, but the most common and beneficial way of managing the disease is through purposeful, healthy lifestyle changes.

Get started today and contact MMi to schedule and appointment or learn more about our treatment options.

Father-Son Duo Share Their Health Stories

Denny Marschuetz, age 60, Owner & President of J.M. Marschuetz Construction Co., has been in the construction industry for 40 years. His son, Jason Marschuetz, age 38, has been working for his father’s company since he was 15 and is now the Vice President.

Denny reveals how getting treatment for Low-T has been a life-changing experience:
“Stress is a big part of working in construction and after 40 years in the industry, I was exhausted all the time. I remember taking naps at the office and having to fill up on coffee before any meetings that took place around 1 or 2 p.m. My internist discovered I had Low-T, my levels were around 230, which is the average for a 75-year old man. I began treatment through a pump, but after months of not feeling any changes, I almost gave up. I went to Men’s Medical Institute and began a customized treatment schedule in May. I opted for injection treatments, which would give me the opportunity to stabilize my testosterone. I play 27 holes of golf about twice a week and play 9 holes of golf every night. The other day, I had to go to a birthday party for a family member after running around all day. Usually, I would be dozing off on someone’s couch while the festivities were carrying on, but I came home around 10 p.m. and wasn’t ready for bed until 11 p.m. I have motivation to exercise more and really take care of myself. I just started a diet and within the first week, I lost 9 pounds. For other men who may be on the fence about TRT, the rewards truly outweigh the risks – if you seek treatment through MMi, your testosterone levels are managed by Board Certified doctors. My cardiologist has seen the benefits of TRT and I’ve been taking the right vitamins that my body needs, not what I thought I needed. TRT will get your energy levels up naturally. My three-month consultation isn’t until July, but I already have much more energy and sense of well-being.”

Jason opens up about his sobriety and how TRT has helped save his life:
“In my generation, I’d say there’s the stigma that men may think of themselves as inadequate or lesser of a man if they undergo hormone replacement therapy. For me, seeking treatment was one of the best decisions I’ve made for my health. I’m the first to admit that I don’t always take the best care of myself. Up until about three months ago, I smoked almost two-and-a-half packs of cigarettes a day. Before I got sober nearly two years ago, I abused alcohol and opiates to the tenth degree. I feel the drug use played a major part in lowering my testosterone and, at one point, my levels were as low as 135. The worst symptoms I felt then were I wanted to sleep all the time, but was never able to get good enough sleep. I would periodically nod off while driving home after a long day at work; I lost interest in all of my hobbies; I had this “take it or leave it” attitude when it came to my sex life. Overall, I was just a shell of body – existing, but barely functioning. When I went to MMi, my levels were in the low-200’s after trying AndroGel for a period of 2-3 months. I’m now getting treatment in the form of cream, as well as taking men’s health supplements, and I feel totally different. I have way more energy, the sex life is coming around, I have more patience and my focus on tasks at hand are noticeably better. I do feel like my relationship with my dad is better mainly due to the fact that I am not as edgy and tired as I used to be, which, in turn, would always make me more irritable. Looking back on my experience now, it’s a shame I didn’t seek treatment sooner because I look at all that time I wasted being tired, crabby, detached and just numb to the world. For any man who may be on the fence about seeking treatment for Low-T, you need to jump off that fence and start living!”

Could Hormone Replacement Be The Fountain of Youth?

Dr. Ted Mimlitz Weighs in on Low Testosterone Treatment Options for Men.

Benefits of Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT)
Dr. Ted Mimlitz, CEO and Co-founder of Men’s’ Medical Institute as well as the Medical Director of Maternity Services at DePaul University, believes that testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) should be a more widely practiced low testosterone treatment option for men.

“Testosterone replacement therapy should be more widely practiced because it works,” Dr. Mimlitz told Medical Daily. “Once a man hits the age of 30, his testosterone levels begin to decrease each year by one or two percent.”

Many of his patients have seen an increase in their energy, mood and concentration. “Increasing a man’s testosterone levels has been shown to prevent heart disease, hypertension, osteoporosis and mortal diabetes,” said Dr Mimlitz.

Most men aren’t aware of their declining testosterone because it happens slowly over many years.

The simple blood test to determine your testosterone can be done by your primary care doctor or an endocrinologist. Normal results vary. Factors such as age and other health related issues come into play, but on average the levels should be around 300-1000.