The Morning Dose #20: Low T and Arthritis, ZepBound, and a New Anti-Aging Molecule

In this week’s edition of The Morning Dose:

Low Testosterone May Increase Your Risk of Arthritis

What’s So Great About Zepbound?

In The News: Anastrozole Authorized to Reduce the Risk of Breast Cancer

New Anti-Aging Molecule Discovered!

Let’s inject this.

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Low Testosterone May Increase Your Risk of Arthritis

One of the most common reasons people hesitate to start TRT is the risk of side effects.

Many believe that testosterone will cause hair loss, heart disease, high blood pressure, infertility, and a whole host of other health concerns.

What’s far too often ignored are the very real health consequences of not restoring proper testosterone levels.

This research review found that untreated low testosterone, or hypogonadism, causes a wide range of symptoms including loss of libido, erectile dysfunction, diminished cognitive function, depression, lethargy, osteoporosis, loss of muscle mass and strength, and an increased risk of coronary artery disease and stroke.

So when used incorrectly, TRT can cause a few side effects… but they pale in comparison to not treating your low T.

Not to mention, a good doctor can help you manage those side effects.

Now, we can add another negative side effect of low testosterone to the list – arthritis, the chronic inflammation that can make joints all over your body feel stiff and painful.

Researchers performed a cross-sectional study looking at more than 10,000 adults in the United States and found that lower testosterone levels were associated with an increased risk of developing arthritis.

There are several types of arthritis, and we still don’t know exactly what causes it, so treatment can be difficult.

The study isn’t claiming that going on TRT will clear up your arthritis, but if you’re struggling with achy joints, it certainly won’t hurt.

But if fixing your testosterone will reduce your risk of developing debilitating joint pain as you age, that seems like a great first step.

If you’re unsure of where to start, we recommend Fountain TRT, a remote care team that can provide virtual services and monitor your health along the way. For a limited time, you can get your testosterone checked for only $35 thanks to our special partnership with Fountain.

  What’s So Great About Zepbound?

With the FDA recently approving Zepbound (tirzepatide) for weight loss, we’ve seen all kinds of articles and information out there, and we’ve seen the questions…

What’s so special about tirzepatide anyway? Don’t we already have semaglutide? Is this better or worse than Wegovy?

If you’re wondering why this is a big deal when we already have FDA approval for Wegovy, the FDA approved brand of semaglutide for weight loss, you’re not alone.

Let’s take a closer look at how tirzepatide compares to semaglutide, and which one is more effective for fat loss.

First, as we shared last week, tirzepatide has been shown to result in greater weight loss than semaglutide, which is a big win.

So why does this happen?

Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, which means it mimics the GLP-1 hormone and reduces your appetite.

Tirzepatide is both a GLP-1 AND a glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), which can increase insulin production to manage your blood sugar and make you feel more full.

Tirzepatide may also have a potential role in the early detection and prevention of diabetes.

In other words, they’re both similar, but tirzepatide is the new and improved peptide, and if you have the choice, we’d choose tirzepatide, or Zepbound.

Right now, tirzepatide is the strongest weight loss peptide approved by the FDA… but more are on the way.

Lilly, the company behind Mounjaro, the other FDA-approved tirzepatide for diabetes, has already seen even better results with their newest peptide, retatrutide.

This is an exciting time for peptides, and we can’t wait to see the options that hit the market over the next few years.

In The News: Anastrozole Authorized to Reduce the Risk of Breast Cancer

For those who live in the UK, the popular aromatase inhibitor, anastrozole, has just been authorized for use as a preventative drug against breast cancer.

Many readers will know anastrozole by its brand name, Arimidex, which is commonly used in TRT protocols to manage estrogen levels.

It’s primarily been used as a treatment for post-menopausal women with breast cancer, but this preventative use is something new and exciting, and a promising development in the fight against cancer.

The official press release references this IBIS-II study, which showed that post-menopausal women with a high risk of breast cancer were 49% less likely to develop breast cancer after 5 years of preventive treatment with anastrozole.

Now, we’re not saying to rush out and start using aromatase inhibitors without speaking to your physician. After all, if you lower your estrogen unnecessarily, that can cause all kinds of health problems, as some estrogen is required for optimal health.

But if you are at high risk for breast cancer, and your doctor approves of its use, this seems like a powerful preventative measure, one well worth speaking to our doctor about.

New Anti-Aging Molecule Discovered

Scientists at Buck University have discovered a natural, anti-aging molecule that improves cellular cycling, and may extend our lifespan.

Now before we go any further, this study found that the molecule extended the lifespan of worms, but also prevented mitochondrial dysfunction in mammalian cells, which is what human bodies are made of.

This is very early and speculative research, but it’s a promising discovery that will certainly be looked at more closely in the coming years.

Remember back in high school, when we learned that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell? Well, over time our mitochondria begin to break down from the constant wear and tear.

We need to get rid of these dying cells and replace them through a process called autophagy.

Autophagy has long been studied as part of anti-aging. It’s our bodies’ way of clearing out the dying, broken cells every day, clearing the way for healthy new cells.

Increasing autophagy has been shown to extend the lifespan of multiple animals, and many anti-aging experts and biohackers focus on increasing autophagy through techniques like fasting.

This natural molecule that was just discovered seems to increase autophagy of the mitochondria.

In other words, if this molecule has a similar impact on humans, it will be a very powerful anti-aging tool, helping keep our cells young and healthy.

The researchers were most interested in the impact on neuronal health, which could help prevent neurodegeneration of the brain.

We’re likely years away from any meaningful treatment with this new molecule, but it’s always interesting to keep an eye on what the anti-aging researchers are currently working on.