Health
Testosterone therapy could help boost women's sex drive as they age, but risks exist, experts say
Celebrities’ use of testosterone to boost their sex drive could lead more women to try hormone replacement therapy (HRT), experts say.
Actress Kate Winslet recently revealed in an appearance on the “How to Fail” podcast with Elizabeth Day that a dip in libido could mean an imbalance in testosterone levels.
“A lot of people don’t know this, but women have testosterone in their body; when it runs out, like eggs, it’s gone,” the “Titanic” actress, 48, told a listener.
KATE WINSLET ADMITS TO USING TESTOSTERONE THERAPY TO ‘FEEL SEXY AGAIN’
“So, once it’s gone, you have to replace it, and that is something that can be done, and you’ll feel sexy again,” Winslet said.
“I know,” she added, without offering additional details.
Actress Kate Winslet recently revealed in an appearance on the “How to Fail” podcast with Elizabeth Day that a dip in libido could mean an imbalance in testosterone levels. (Felix Hörhager/picture alliance via Getty Images)
What to know about HRT
Hormone expert Dan Holtz, co-founder of the Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Center, echoed that HRT is used to “optimize hormone levels in men and women as they go through life.”
“Benefits may include better sleep, improved energy, less anxiety [and] improved metabolic rate,” he said in a response sent to Fox News Digital.
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Holtz has worked with numerous celebrities to optimize their hormone levels. He confirmed that many women and men have reported a “noticeable improvement in libido after optimizing testosterone.”
Some women have also reported an improvement in libido when correcting a deficiency in DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), a hormone the body produces in the adrenal gland, according to the expert.
One hormone expert said that many patients have reported a “noticeable improvement in libido after optimizing testosterone.” (iStock)
HRT is often referred to as menopause hormone therapy (MHT), a medical treatment to relieve menopause symptoms, according to women’s health and menopause expert Dr. Mary Claire Haver of Friendswood, Texas.
“As we approach menopause, the natural decline in estrogen, progesterone and testosterone can lead to symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, muscle and joint pain, brain fog, vaginal dryness and low libido,” she told Fox News Digital.
“Every woman’s situation is unique, and we need to balance the potential benefits against the risks.”
“For many women, these symptoms can severely affect their quality of life.”
Hormone therapy works by replenishing the estrogen, progesterone and testosterone levels that the body is no longer producing in sufficient amounts, Haver noted.
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“The goal is to alleviate symptoms by restoring health-promoting hormone levels, but MHT also has additional benefits, like maintaining bone density, which reduces the risk of osteoporosis – a concern for postmenopausal women,” she added.
Targeting testosterone
While women have much lower levels of testosterone compared to men, the hormone is “crucial” to maintaining libido and sexual function in females, according to Haver — in addition to boosting energy and mood.
When testosterone levels decline — which occurs as women grow older and approach menopause — a decrease in sexual desire, arousal and satisfaction can result, the expert said.
When testosterone levels decline — which occurs as women grow older and approach menopause — a decrease in sexual desire, arousal and satisfaction can result, studies show. (iStock)
That’s because the hormone acts on a key region of the brain involved in regulating sexual behavior, she added.
Studies have shown that for some women, boosting testosterone levels can lead to “noticeable improvements” in sexual health, Haver said.
“Women need to know that low libido is a legitimate medical concern, not just something they have to ‘push through.’”
“By increasing testosterone levels, these brain centers become more responsive to sexual stimuli, which can lead to an increase in libido,” she said.
Haver encouraged women who are experiencing low libido to consider testosterone therapy as part of a “broader treatment plan.”
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“The goal is to restore levels to the normal physiological range for women, improving sexual desire without pushing the body into a ‘male’ hormone profile,” she told Fox News Digital.
Potential risks
Mayo Clinic confirmed that testosterone therapy may boost sex drive for some women after menopause, but noted that there is limited research on its safety and long-term effectiveness.
It has also been shown to cause some side effects.
“Most often, other treatments are tried before testosterone,” the clinic stated on its website.
MHT can be a safe and effective option for women suffering from menopausal symptoms, said a women’s health expert, while others note that side effects may result. (iStock)
“These include low doses of the hormone estrogen, and a type of counseling called sex therapy. Some depression medicines also may boost sex drive.”
HRT is “not a one-size-fits-all solution,” and there are potential risks if it’s done inappropriately, Haver warned.
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“Studies have shown that estrogen-containing hormone therapy can increase the risk of certain conditions, such as blood clots and stroke,” the doctor said.
“Testosterone therapy can also increase the risk of unwanted hair growth, deepening of the voice and acne.”
Those risks can vary based on factors like the type of hormones used, the dosage, the delivery method and how long it’s administered, according to Haver.
Hormone therapy replenishes estrogen, progesterone and testosterone levels that the body is no longer producing in sufficient amounts, according to women’s health experts. (iStock)
“Every woman’s situation is unique, and we need to balance the potential benefits against the risks, with the proper dosage, formulations and delivery system.”
Haver recommends MHT for women who are within 10 years of menopause onset and are under 60 years old — “particularly for those suffering from moderate to severe symptoms.”
Interdisciplinary care
Some women can feel “dismissed or not fully supported” when discussing sexual health concerns with medical providers, Haver noted.
“Sexual function in women can be influenced by hormones, neurotransmitters, mental health, relationship dynamics and even chronic medical conditions,” she said.
HRT can be administered in a variety of ways, including as an injection, pill, topical patch, gel or spray. (iStock)
Effective treatment addresses these root causes rather than just offering “superficial fixes,” she said.
“Women need to know that low libido is a legitimate medical concern, not just something they have to ‘push through.’”
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For those interested in HRT, Holtz suggested finding a well-established and reputable company or provider with a track record of success.
Haver added that it’s essential for women to have a thorough discussion with their medical provider to assess their specific health needs and determine the best treatment plan.
Fox News Digital’s Caroline Thayer contributed to this report.
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A new injectable therapy is showing positive results in reducing melanoma throughout a five-year period.
The personalized mRNA cancer therapy, called intismeran autogene, combined with the cancer immunotherapy drug KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab), is a collaboration between Merck and Moderna.
The results from the phase 2b KEYNOTE-942 study were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago on May 27.
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After about a five-year follow-up, the combo drug was found to reduce the risk of melanoma recurrence or death by 49% compared to pembrolizumab alone.
The researchers analyzed data from 157 patients with high-risk stage 3 and 4 melanoma whose cancer had been removed via surgery. The participants were split into two groups — one received the combo therapy and the other only received pembrolizumab, according to a press release.
The therapy was found to reduce the risk of melanoma recurrence or death by 49% compared to pembrolizumab alone after a five-year follow-up. (iStock)
The findings revealed that the combination group saw benefits that were “sustained and durable over time.”
Intismeran autogene is designed using mutations identified in a patient’s own tumor, with the intention of teaching the immune system what the cancer looks like so that it can recognize and attack it.
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According to the researchers, intismeran is “well-tolerated” with a “manageable” safety profile.
The most commonly cited side effects of the personalized mRNA vaccine plus KEYTRUDA were fatigue, injection-site pain, chills, fever and headache. The researchers reported no new long-term safety concerns and no severe vaccine-related adverse events.
The combination therapy is currently being evaluated in a phase 3 study — the final confirmation stage.
Patients with late-stage melanoma have a “significant risk” of cancer recurrence, according to an expert. (iStock)
In a Merck press release from January, Kyle Holen, MD, Moderna’s senior vice president and head of development, oncology and therapeutics, noted that this data highlights the “potential of a prolonged benefit … in patients with resected high-risk melanoma.”
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“We continue to invest in our platform in oncology because of encouraging outcomes like these, which illustrate mRNA’s potential in cancer care,” he said.
Dr. Marjorie Green, senior vice president and head of oncology, global clinical development at Merck Research Laboratories, also commented that for many patients with stage 3 or 4 melanoma, there is a “significant risk of recurrence following surgery.”
Researchers confirmed that the combination therapy is currently being evaluated in a phase 3 study. (iStock)
“As such, demonstrating the longer-term potential of intismeran autogene and KEYTRUDA to reduce the risk of recurrence for certain patients with melanoma is a meaningful milestone,” she said.
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The company cited encouraging five-year follow-up data and pointed to upcoming late-stage INTerpath trial results with Moderna in several hard-to-treat cancers.
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An accidental lab discovery has opened the door to entirely new ways of preventing the flu.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells, SWNS reported.
By targeting the specific molecules the viruses rely on, scientists found that they could block them from entering new cells and halt their replication altogether.
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Researchers say these “fundamental insights” into seasonal influenza highlight a clear path toward developing better preventive medications.
“The hope is that fundamental, curiosity-based research like this helps to pave the way for novel strategies to treat and prevent influenza infections,” principal investigator Dr. Emily Bruce, from the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, said in the SWNS report.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells. (iStock)
While several flu strains cause illness, H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A viruses are the most common. However, current flu tests cannot differentiate between them, and clinical treatments are identical for both.
Although vaccines and antivirals are available, Bruce noted a “dire” need for better medications to stop the virus from spreading cell to xxcell.
“You don’t get sick when a virus is in one cell,” he noted. “You get sick because a virus replicates itself and goes into many more cells.”
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The study, which was published in The Journal of Virology, originally aimed to map how viral RNA segments are transported within cells to create new viral particles.
The team used H1N1 and H3N2 viruses isolated from the nasal passages of positive patients in 2022.
Clinical treatments remain identical for both primary strains of the flu virus. (iStock)
During the investigation, the team unexpectedly stumbled upon a cellular pathway that blocked the virus from entering lung cells, SWNS reported.
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The data revealed that when a specific human protein called Rab11B was depleted, H3N2 viruses failed to enter human lung cells. H1N1 viruses were completely unaffected.
Using reverse genetics, the team mapped this defect and uncovered a brand-new, H3N2-specific role for Rab11B during viral entry.
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This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way.
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“Viruses are like pirates from different countries hijacking someone’s ship,” Bruce said. “Different viruses, like different types of pirates, use different methods to get onboard.”
This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way. (iStock)
“We had previously thought that all flu viruses used the same way to get into a cell, but we discovered that this is not true,” she went on. “H1N1 and H3N2 need different proteins to get in, and if you get rid of the right protein, a specific virus can’t get in.”
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While these findings identify a critical cellular pathway for viral entry, the study was conducted using isolated cells, the researchers acknowledged.
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Further research is needed to determine whether blocking the protein is safe and effective within a live, complex human respiratory system.
Bruce and the team hope to conduct further research to determine whether this Rab11B-dependency is a fundamental property of H3N2, or if it’s a trait unique to currently circulating flu strains.
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Eating processed meat like ham, sausage and bacon may be linked to a higher risk of certain types of cancer, according to new research.
While health organizations have already confirmed that processed meat can contribute to colon cancer, this study looked closer at cancers in the upper digestive tract, where the link has historically been less clear.
To understand these connections, researchers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), one of the world’s largest long-term nutrition and cancer cohorts, tracked the health and diets of 450,112 people across Europe for an average of 14 years.
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The study group included 131,426 men and 318,686 women, according to the study’s press release.
During the follow-up period, 876 people developed stomach cancer and 215 people developed esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is cancer of the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.
For female participants, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk of developing the disease. (iStock)
Researchers tracked where the stomach cancers grew, separating them into the upper part of the stomach near the throat and the lower part of the stomach.
The researchers also sorted the tumors into two categories based on how the cancer cells appeared under a microscope: intestinal, which forms more organized structures, and diffuse, in which the cells are more scattered throughout the tissue.
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After adjusting for other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that for every extra 30 grams of processed meat a person ate per day, their overall risk of stomach cancer went up by 9%. Eating that same extra 30 grams a day was also linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
A standard single slice of regular deli-sliced ham or lunch meat averages around 28 grams, according to USDA data and nutritional tracking databases.
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken and turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach. (iStock)
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken or turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach, the researchers noted.
The study also revealed differences between men and women. For male participants, only processed meat showed a clear, statistically significant link to a higher risk of stomach cancer. For female participants, however, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk.
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These findings align with global health benchmarks, particularly those established by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The agency has long classified processed meat as a known human carcinogen, primarily due to its strong, well-documented links to colorectal cancer.
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However, health organizations have also consistently pointed to a potential, yet less definitive, relationship between these meats and cancers of the stomach.
Eating 30 grams of processed meat a day, or the equivalent to one slice of ham, was linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. (iStock)
Further scientific investigation is needed to confirm the findings and to account for other underlying risk factors, such as certain stomach infections, which could interact with dietary habits.
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A key limitation of the study is its reliance on self-reported diets, which can sometimes lead to inaccuracies in how participants recall their meat consumption over time, the researchers noted.
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The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers requesting comment.
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