Health
Why So Many Guys Are Obsessed With Testosterone
Despite the anecdotal nature of the study, it had a seismic impact on medical practice. Most doctors stopped prescribing testosterone, cautioning that the risk of prostate cancer was too high. That prohibition lasted for the remainder of the 20th century. For roughly 60 years, “there was almost no testosterone given anywhere in this world,” says Dr. Abe Morgentaler, a urologist at Harvard Medical School. When he was a medical student in the 1980s, Morgentaler told me, “I was taught that if a healthy man received testosterone today, he would come back in one month with aggressive prostate cancer.”
Morgentaler, however, was curious about the hormone’s potential. As an undergraduate conducting research, he found that when castrated lizards were given testosterone, their mating dances were restored. Once he was practicing as a urologist, men started coming to him complaining of sexual problems. It was a decade before the arrival of Viagra, and doctors had little to offer. “I thought, Maybe guys are like my lizards,” Morgentaler says. He started prescribing testosterone to a small group of patients, warning them that it could increase their risk of prostate cancer. Desperate, most men went ahead anyway.
To his surprise, many of his patients reported that not only were they now having lots of sex but also that other aspects of their lives had improved. “They’d say, ‘My wife likes me again,’” he recalls. “Another says, ‘I wake up in the morning, I swing my legs over the side of the bed, I have optimism for my day. I haven’t felt that way in 15 years.’” Over the next decade, as Morgentaler spoke about his patients’ positive outcomes at conferences, including preliminary data suggesting no increase in the incidence of prostate cancer, more doctors began following his lead.
But soon after Morgentaler began treating his patients, a new obstacle arose. Doping scandals swept the world of sports, where athletes trying to set records and win Olympic medals were caught taking testosterone and other anabolic steroids at doses much higher than what Morgentaler was giving his patients. In 1990, Congress passed a law adding steroids, including testosterone, to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s list of controlled substances — making the hormone illegal without a prescription and adding new restrictions for doctors.
Then, after a few studies published in the early 2010s suggested that T.R.T. was associated with a potential increase in heart attacks and strokes, the F.D.A. issued a warning label for testosterone products. As part of the warning, the agency required drug makers to fund what would become the largest randomized, placebo-controlled trial to investigate the risks and benefits of T.R.T.
Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items.
Use escape to exit the menu.
Sign Up
Create a free account to access exclusive content, play games, solve puzzles, test your pop-culture knowledge and receive special offers.
Already have an account? Login
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Yoga is known to boost relaxation, strength and flexibility – and now a new study has found the practice could improve cancer survivors’ quality of life.
A randomized trial led by the University of Rochester Medical Center found that a four-week yoga program significantly reduced insomnia, fatigue, anxiety and mood disturbances after cancer treatment.
The findings were presented last week at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago.
CANCER SURVIVORS MAY SEE SURPRISING BENEFITS FROM ONE SPECIFIC EXERCISE, STUDY SAYS
The study was conducted across multiple U.S. community cancer care sites, including 410 adult cancer survivors averaging 54 years of age. Around 75% were breast cancer survivors, and none of them had practiced yoga regularly within the prior three months.
A randomized trial led by the University of Rochester Medical Center found that a four-week yoga program significantly reduced insomnia, fatigue, anxiety and mood disturbances in cancer survivors. (iStock)
The participants were randomly assigned to two groups. Half of them received only standard survivorship care without the yoga, while the other half received standard care and were also enrolled in the Yoga for Cancer Survivors (YOCAS) program.
As part of the YOCAS program, the survivors completed two instructor-led 75-minute yoga sessions each week, including 18 Gentle Hatha yoga and Restorative yoga poses, breathing exercises and mindfulness training.
EATING MORE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES LINKED TO SURPRISING EFFECT ON SLEEP
Based on questionnaires completed by the patients, the survivors in the yoga group experienced “moderate-to-large” reductions in overall mood disturbance, “small-to-medium” reductions in anxiety and “medium-to-large” reductions in fatigue, the study found.
The improvements in mood and fatigue appeared to be linked to yoga’s beneficial effect on sleep quality, according to the researchers.
As part of the YOCAS program, the survivors completed two instructor-led 75-minute yoga sessions each week, including 18 Gentle Hatha yoga and Restorative yoga poses, breathing exercises and mindfulness training. (iStock)
“This indicates that cancer survivors have an option to alleviate these cancer-related side effects at the same time, without adding another drug,” lead investigator Yuri Choi, PhD, of the Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, in Rochester, New York, told Fox News Digital.
The study did not reveal any major safety concerns or serious adverse events related to the yoga practice.
“This indicates that cancer survivors have an option to alleviate these cancer-related side effects at the same time, without adding another drug.”
The study did have some limitations, chiefly that the findings are preliminary and have not yet been peer-reviewed for a medical publication.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
“The sample in our clinical trial was relatively homogeneous, with most participants being women (96%), breast cancer patients (75%), Caucasian (93%), and having some college or higher education (82%),” noted Choi.
“We are adapting our intervention to reach all cancer patients and survivors, including the creation of a mobile app to reach people in rural communities.”
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
The research also excluded patients with metastatic cancer (whose disease had spread to other parts of the body).
The total study was only four weeks, so more research is needed to determine long-term benefits.
If the findings are confirmed by peer-reviewed publications, this could lead to recommendations for structured yoga programs as a non-drug supportive therapy for cancer survivors, the researchers noted. (iStock)
If the findings are confirmed by peer-reviewed publications, this could lead to recommendations for structured yoga programs as a non-drug supportive therapy for cancer survivors, the researchers noted.
Some yoga studios may use different names for Gentle Hatha and Restorative yoga, such as Foundations Yoga or Healing Yoga, Choi noted.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“Survivors should also look for certified yoga instructors who have experience working with cancer patients/survivors or individuals with other challenging health conditions,” the researcher advised. “They should not be afraid to ask their oncology team for referrals to qualified instructors in their community.”
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
Choi also noted that the research did not reveal whether other types of yoga, such as heated-room or rigorous-flow yoga, are safe or beneficial for cancer survivors.
The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute.
Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items.
Use escape to exit the menu.
Sign Up
Create a free account to access exclusive content, play games, solve puzzles, test your pop-culture knowledge and receive special offers.
Already have an account? Login
-
Tennessee2 minutes ago
TN Lottery Mega Millions, Cash 3 Morning winning numbers for June 2, 2026
-
Texas7 minutes ago3 things to watch as Texas, Texas Tech begin Women's College World Series Final
-
Utah14 minutes agoThree-star OL Sire Stewart commits to Utah – KSL Sports
-
Vermont17 minutes ago
VT Lottery Mega Millions, Gimme 5 results for June 2, 2026
-
Virginia22 minutes agoVirginia Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 Night results for June 2, 2026
-
Wisconsin32 minutes agoWisconsin Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for June 2, 2026
-
West Virginia37 minutes agoWest Virginia Virtual Academy celebrates second graduating class
-
Wyoming44 minutes agoWyoming mountain bike hotspot Curt Gowdy wants to know how it can improve
