A new study from Rigshospitalet among 5,000 male patients has shown that average testosterone levels of those born in the 1960s have dropped by 14 percent compared to those born in the 1920s.
The study also showed that the protein SHBG that binds testosterone had dropped by 26 percent during the 40-year period, reported MetroXpress newspaper.
‘It’s a little frightening and thought-provoking that there is something affecting men’s sex hormones,’ said research study leader Anna-Maria Andersson of the Clinic for Growth and Reproduction at Rigshospitalet.
Fertility doctor Peter Lyngdorf stressed that testosterone is important for maintaining normal heart functions and aiding bone structure, among other things.
‘It’s worrying if men are suddenly lacking one of their key strengths that makes them men,’ he said.
According to Lyngdorf, the reduced testosterone levels are likely due to a combination of factors, including pesticides in products and foods, as well as to the increase in unhealthy lifestyles.
Figures from the Danish Medicines Agency show that an increasing number of Danes are being prescribed testosterone, with sales increasing from 437,000 to 554,000 between 2004 and 2008.