OVERLOOKED culprit putting guys in the crosshairs for severe COVID-19 infection
Friend, if you’re like me… you’re finally starting to let yourself breathe a sigh of relief when it comes to the novel coronavirus.
Local restrictions are loosening up… and infection rates in this country aren’t nearly as high as they once were.
But we haven’t “conquered” COVID-19 yet…
Because some folks are STILL getting sick…
Even folks who are supposedly “immune” because they’re fully vaccinated.
It’s true – no vaccine is 100% effective for preventing infections in EVERYBODY.
And folks who haven’t gotten the COVID-19 vaccine yet… or have chosen not to get it at all… are still at risk for getting infected.
The question is… will it be a MILD infection…
Or will it be SEVERE enough to require hospitalization?
What you need to know is that infection severity ISN’T random.
There are factors that are associated with WORSE outcomes – and if you’re an older guy, there’s one you may want to pay special attention to.
The ‘comorbidity’ we’ve been IGNORING
You’ve read before right here in eAlert how 4 pre-existing conditions have been linked to COVID-19 hospitalizations.
They are…
- obesity
- hypertension
- diabetes
- heart failure
But the latest research shows there’s something else that’s associated with worse COVID-19 outcomes…
And it’s something that’s too often IGNORED in older guys.
I’m talking about low testosterone.
We’ve already seen the statistics showing that men have been hit harder by the coronavirus pandemic than women…
And now, these latest findings come out of a small study from St. Louis University School of Medicine… which discovered that more severe illness correlated with lower T levels.
Guys who were hospitalized with COVID-19 had testosterone levels that were 65% lower than those with mild cases!
Among guys whose T levels DROPPED while they were hospitalized… they were more likely to get SICKER…
And their risk of ICU admission or even death WORSENED.
Here’s where this really gets interesting.
Because the guys with comparatively HIGHER levels of testosterone also showed LOWER levels of inflammatory markers… like C-reactive protein…
And interleukin (IL)-6… one of the cytokines that can create the “storm” associated with a robust immune response.
It’s that “cytokine storm” that appears to be the culprit behind a COVID-19 infection that gets so bad… it requires intensive care.
Now, testosterone is generally considered an immunosuppressant – and in this case, that could be a good thing!
But while it APPEARS as though this “male hormone” can take the edge off of a RAGING inflammatory reaction…
We actually DON’T know exactly how testosterone and the immune system interact.
But we DO know from a 2018 study that low testosterone is linked to chronic disease…
So, perhaps these new findings are just ONE MORE reason… among MANY… to make sure your testosterone levels DON’T dip too low.
After all, it’s testosterone that could help you maintain your manhood in the bedroom… muscle strength… stamina… and mood.
If it’s been a while since you’ve had your T levels checked… talk to your doc about looking into it sooner rather than later.
And if you could use some improvement… explore the many natural and drug-free ways to OPTIMIZE your hormone balance.
