Kate Winslet touts testosterone replacement therapy. What is that?
Kate Winslet hinted she underwent testosterone replacement therapy on a recent podcast – something that some studies suggest could help women as they age.
"Sometimes women have a real dip in libido because there might be stuff going on with their thyroid. There could also be stuff going on with your level of testosterone," Winslet, 48, said on the "Failing with Friends" podcast earlier this month, according to People and Fox News.
"A lot of people don't know this, but women have testosterone in their body, when it runs out — like eggs — it's gone," she went on. "And once it's gone you have to replace it, and that is something that can be done and you'll feel sexy again," and also said: "I know."
Women in the U.S. are prescribed testosterone off-label with medical supervision, according to Healthline, while women in England and Australia take it to assist with perimenopause and menopause symptoms. Here's a quick primer on testosterone and specifically what low levels might mean for women.
What is testosterone?
Though testosterone often gets a bad rap because aggressive or misbehaving men are sometimes labeled as "testosterone fueled," the hormone actually isn't unique to one type of person or gender and affects just about everyone in one way or another.
Its formation is initiated during gestation, and "normal circulating levels of testosterone" are produced in the body when a person reaches the age of puberty, between 10 and 14 years old, Dr. Andrew Greenberg, director of the obesity and metabolism lab at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, previously told USA TODAY.
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What are the symptoms of low testosterone?
Due to its many important functions in the body, it can be helpful to have one's testosterone levels checked with a blood test if anything feels amiss. Signs and symptoms that could indicate diminished testosterone levels in men or women include frequent feelings of melancholy, sluggishness or tiredness, muscle weakness, decreasing sexual desire, sexual performance issues, or reduced sexual satisfaction. In women, low testosterone can also affect menstrual cycles and the frequency of periods.
Though less common in women since a woman's main sex hormones are estrogen and progesterone, women can and often do also experience lower-than-normal levels of testosterone as well.
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How to increase testosterone
Testosterone levels can be increased several ways – some natural and some that require medical intervention. The natural ways of increasing testosterone levels include improved sleep, decreasing one's stress levels, a diet that includes plenty of protein, zinc and vitamin D and getting more exercise. Indeed, one study showed that increased physical activity was more beneficial than calorie restriction alone for increasing testosterone levels. Resistance training has also been shown to boost testosterone levels. Such benefits can be multiplied when they also mean dropping weight for people dealing with obesity. "For those who are overweight, weight loss will aid in increasing testosterone levels," Dr. Disha Narang, director of obesity medicine at Endeavor Health in the Chicago area, previously told USA TODAY.
When it comes to medical interventions, there are a host of testosterone creams, supplements and even injectables available – but the experts warn to use them with caution. "There are no FDA-approved supplements to increase testosterone levels, and any supplement touting sexual health or testosterone-boosting should be questioned for several possible associated risks," warns Narang.
There are times, however, when testosterone therapy will be recommended by a physician for men or for women, sometimes for different reasons.
When women consider testosterone therapy, it's often related to a condition called Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD), Dr. Cynthia Stuenkel, a clinical professor of medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine, previously told USA TODAY. "Testosterone can be administered to these women who are diagnosed with this (HSDD) postmenopausal-related decline in sexual interest," she says. She adds that in such cases, when testosterone therapy is elected for women, clinicians often use only about 1/10 the dose of preparations approved for men since women produce and need significantly less testosterone than men in the first place.
Regardless of the recommended dose, it's important to only medically increase testosterone levels under the care of a physician because there some possible negative side effects associated with the therapy. Such risks and side effects include acne or other skin reactions, a worsening of sleep apnea symptoms, enlarged breasts or a stimulating of a noncancerous growth of the prostate, increased risk of blood clot formations or even an increased risk of heart disease, per Mayo Clinic.
Contributing: Daryl Austin
Update: This story has been updated to reflect a change in someone's title.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kate Winslet and testosterone replacement therapy for women