Dr. Joshua John-Ram Schacter explains why low testosterone accelerates osteoarthritis in both men and women. A 2025 study of 4,500 patients found men with testosterone below 300 had significantly higher OA risk, and the effect mirrors joint degeneration women experience around menopause.
BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, January 2025.
About 4,500 patients.
Levels "below 300" (as stated by the speaker).
Right. When we start menopause, we start to get and feel old. Well, part of that is our joints and their degeneration is accelerating because we're not supplementing hormones the right way.
For us, testosterone is so much more than just in the orthopedic realm. Testosterone is just so much more than just helping us build muscle, though it does support bone health. But there are two studies out that came out in 25 that showed low levels of testosterone in men and women lead to progression of arthritis. You know, there's a study in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, that came out in January of 2025, and it showed that there was a steep, very steep increase in OA risk for American patients. And this is like 4,500 patients. It's not a small study with testosterone levels. And it really suggested that there's kind of a threshold effect. And what they saw in men is that levels below 300 increase our risk of osteoarthritis in women, sort of this low levels of testosterone. We're very closely linked with progression of arthritis. So these people that we see, and oftentimes we see an acceleration of aging that happens right after menopause. Right, Right when we start menopause, we start to get and feel old. Well, part of that is our joints and their degeneration is accelerating because we're not supplementing hormones the right way.
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