Testosterone health warning following surge in young men encouraged to take supplements

Testosterone health warning following surge in young men encouraged to take supplements Testosterone health warning as fitness influencers on Instagram and TikTok drive surge in young men taking supplements which can cause heart and kidney problems Men are being encouraged to take testosterone supplements which may cause harm by online influencers, experts warn. Boxers and fitness influencers are driving a surge in Brits taking the hormone and experts warn they could be left with heart and kidney problems. It comes amid fears young men are being pushed to sign up for unreliable testosterone level tests after being convinced by viral videos that they need supplements for everyday fatigue and low mood. Prof Eric Kilpatrick of Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester is one of two leading experts warning in the British Medical Journal of a "proliferation of private and online clinics" and "heavy marketing through social media, influencers, and outdoor advertising”. Once a niche medical treatment for a small number of patients diagnosed with clinical hormone deficiency, testosterone is increasingly being promoted for performance or focus optimisation. Taking supplements unnecessarily can suppress the body’s natural hormone production, cause infertility and increase the risk of blood clots, heart problems and mood disorders. NHS figures also show a 52% rise in prescriptions from 2020/21 to 2024/25. Private prescriptions are not recorded nationally but the experts say there are "several indicators" suggesting rapid growth A surge in private prescriptions for testosterone has been driven by fitness influencers and wellness brands targeting young men on social media sites like Instagram and TikTok. These content creators partner with private clinics and supplement brands to promote at-home blood testing kits to tackle a supposed “masculinity crisis” caused by low testosterone. Some commercial testing companies claim that up to 30% of men over 40 have "low testosterone" but clinical data suggests only around 2% of men aged 40 to 79 have a genuine deficiency. Boxers such as Mike Tyson, Carl Froch and Roy Jones Jr promote testosterone boosting supplements, as does prominent US podcaster Joe Rogan and mixed martial arts stars Tom Aspinall and Justin Poirier. Subscriptions cost from £100 to £375 a month to cover blood monitoring, consultations and medication. Experts say declining testosterone and libido are natural aspects of ageing and warn that diagnosis with clinically low testosterone takes repeated testing and it is not clear how consistently private clinics do this. Prof Kilpatrick and co-author Professor Stephen Atkin, of RCSI Medical University of Bahrain, warn “rapid access subscription models… risk unnecessary lifelong treatment and a resulting NHS monitoring burden.” Their paper said: “Testosterone deficiency can cause reduced libido, erectile dysfunction, and impaired quality of life with fatigue, reduced energy levels, and depressive symptoms. Reversible causes, including obesity, medication, sleep apnoea, and depression must be excluded before lifelong therapy begins. “Obesity in particular produces “pseudo-hypogonadism” leading to low testosterone, producing a state that usually responds better to weight loss than to testosterone. Excluding these causes takes time and repeated testing.” The paper said women are also being targeted with testosterone supplements which are promoted to help with low libido. NHS data shows a tenfold rise in testosterone gel for women aged 50 and older between 2015 and 2022. The experts warn that ongoing monitoring for longer term risks of testosterone supplements will likely fall to the NHS.