DSI Newsletter: Gout

DSI Newsletters, Issue 44:
ADAM Screening Questionnaire for Low Testosterone

Conducted by the St. Louis University School of Medicine, it's called the "ADAM" survey, which stands for Androgen Deficiency in Aging Men. Hey, we're all aging, and that's us! It not only shows that only half of the thousand men asked would contact their doctor if they experienced diminished sex drive, but that wives and girlfriends are skeptical even about these numbers. When asked about how their partners would react to diminished sex drive, only a third of women believed their partners would contact their doctors.
How would someone even know? From low libido and erectile dysfunction, which are symptoms of low testosterone. Symptoms also may include reduced muscle mass and strength, decreased bone density, depression and fatigue. The U.S. Government's Food and Drug Administration estimates that four to five million American men suffer from low testosterone, but that only five percent of those men are currently treated. Doctors can diagnose low testosterone with a simple blood test and treat patients with testosterone replacement therapy.
St. Louis University has put together the following self-screening questionnaire of ten basic questions to help men identify symptoms of low testosterone and talk to their doctors. Women may also review the questionnaire to see if the men in their lives exhibit symptoms of low testosterone, and if so, to encourage screening.
Here's how to use it: men over 40 who answer "yes" to questions 1 or 7, or "yes" to three or more questions may be candidates for testosterone replacement therapy and should schedule an appointment with their doctor to review the questionnaire, have their testosterone levels checked and discuss potential treatment options.

Do you have a decrease in libido (sex drive)?
Do you have a lack of energy?
Do you have a decrease in strength and/or endurance?
Have you lost height?
Have you noticed a decreased "enjoyment of life?"
Are you sad and/or grumpy?
Are your erections less strong?
Have you noticed a recent deterioration in your ability to play sports?
Are you falling asleep after dinner?
Has there been a recent deterioration in your work performance?

Sincerely:

Joseph Saponaro, MD, DABIM, FACP, CPI, CCI, CCRI, CCRC, CCRP
Board Certified Internist, JPMC
Principal Investigator, DSI
Diplomat American Board of Internal Medicine
Fellow American College of Physicians
Certified Physician Investigator by the AAPP
Certified Clinical Investigator by the DIA
Certified Clinical Research Investigator by the ACRP
Certified Clinical Research Coordinator by the ACRP
Certified Clinical Research Professional by SoCRA
Member: The American College of Preventive Medicine

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