FRIDAY, Aug. 15 (HealthDay News) -- In mice, high levels of the male sex hormone testosterone may play an important role in the spread of disease, according to Penn State researchers.

Previous studies have linked testosterone to immune system suppression and found that males experience more bouts of disease and are responsible for more disease transmission than females. But it's not clear why males are more likely to spread disease.

TUESDAY, June 17 (HealthDay News) -- Low testosterone levels put men at high risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and early death, but testosterone replacement therapy may help better the odds, according to new studies.

Some experts believe that low testosterone levels, which become more common with age, are linked to several health conditions. These include loss of bone and muscle mass, depression, decreased libido, and, most important, the metabolic syndrome -- a cluster risk factors that increase the chances of developing heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Irwin Goldstein, San Diego Sexual Medicine At Alvarado Hospital answers the question whether there are advantages of testosterone besides improving your sexual desire.

Dr. Goldstein, San Diego Sexual Medicine At Alvarado Hospital explains what sex steroids are and how the vagina reacts when women have low levels of testosterone.

A small Chicago-area company is hoping to do what a pharmaceutical giant couldn't: win FDA approval of a medication to boost flagging sexual desire in older women.

The drug—a form of testosterone called LibiGel that's rubbed into the upper arm—is at least two years away from pharmacy shelves. But Lincolnshire-based BioSante Pharmaceuticals helped sponsor a meeting of sex experts last week, seeking to convince them the company's on the right track.

Read full story