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Wednesday, February 25, 2009

The Testosterone President?
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The secret to Barack Obama's success.

by Abraham Morgentaler, MD, author of Testosterone For Life and The Viagra Myth: The Surprising Impact on Love and Relationships, and Psychology Today’s Men, Sex and Testosterone blog.

President Barack Obama has been widely lauded for his coolness under pressure. As one of the youngest U.S. Presidents, one has to wonder: Could generous testosterone levels contribute to his calm demeanor?

Ridiculous? After all, we associate testosterone with the darker side of male behavior - violence and aggression. Surprisingly, raising testosterone does not cause aggressive behavior in men. On the contrary, low testosterone causes unpredictable behavior in animals and irritability in men. Testosterone actually appears to act as a mood stabilizer.

William, 48, came to my office with his wife. "He's become a grumpy old man," she said. "Little things set him off. He's not the same man I married." William just shrugged. Tests revealed low testosterone. Three months after beginning testosterone therapy, William reported, "My wife likes me again. I notice I'm more upbeat, and better able to deal with problems and frustrations."

New research reveals important health benefits from having normal levels of testosterone, not only for mood, but also for bone density, muscle mass, sexual function, and sense of well-being. Having a youthful testosterone level may not help us live forever, but with our current President, it might just keep us out of a war or two.

*****

Read more by Abraham Morgentaler, MD on Psychology Today’s Men, Sex and Testosterone blog.

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Posted by: WebMD Blogs at 3:29 PM

6 Comments:

Anonymous Brian said...

Getting to optimal testosterone levels can relieve irritability and enhance assertiveness. On the other side of assertiveness however is aggression. People can aggress for different reasons; anxiety through self-preservation/fear (low testosterone), or dominance/fighting (high testosterone).

There's a happy medium in there for optimal mood. Some people's cognitive and behavioural skills may sway their temperment to either side of the spectrum as well.

Feb 26, 2009 12:51:00 PM  
Blogger Elvis Q. Belushi said...

so, is this insinuating that our previous president has low testosterone levels?

Mar 3, 2009 10:49:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

brilliant use of the president to make people read your article. you have no knowledge of Obama's T levels, yet you lead people to believe you do. All the integrity I'd expect from a liberal.

bravo.

Mar 5, 2009 8:08:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I agree that perhaps its a leap to make assumptions about anyone's testosterone levels, though it would fall within reason to assume that the levels would decrease with age. What I object to is the last post. Since when did conservatism become synonymous with integrity?

Mar 5, 2009 11:49:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Obama has a high level of something because he is the finest President I have ever seen!!!

Mar 6, 2009 12:01:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

@not only does testosterone help a man out w/ his moods, it also helps women out with their moods, menopause, and a huge increase in her libido. this may cause some unwanted side effects but easily taken care of also! so i believe that an every 3 month injection is well worth the side effects!

Mar 8, 2009 10:39:00 PM  

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